Crossing Borders
by Pyewacket75
Summary: AU- Takes place sometime before House's infarction. Virginia Wolfe is a Border Security Officer with a hidden talent that she keeps as a close secret. Will House drag it out of her? Rated M for eventual sexual themes and possibly some violence. This story is now COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: This is a story which I hope will get finished. I posted this chapter to see if anyone is interested and would like to keep reading. I realize I haven't posted anything in awhile so I thought I'd give you guys a treat. This takes place pre-infarction and is AU for the most part. Enjoy!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own House or Wlson, they belong to FOX. Everyone else is my creation.**_

 **Chapter One**

"Loser, loser, _major_ loser…"

Gin rolled her eyes and took another sip of her Bellini while her colleague, Lise, continued to rate the other guys in the bar.

"Too angry, too bored. Good God, too happy. Oh, look at that one. Last time I saw a mouth like that it had a hook in it."

Gin laughed and choked when the liquid went down her throat the wrong way, earning a strong pat on the back from her friend, Lise. When she finished her drink, she started to gather her things. "I gotta go."

"Oh come on, have another Bellini."

Gin stared at the empty cocktail glass and made a face. "Ughh, I can't."

"Come on, it's early."

"I'm tired, Lise. Tired of everything."

Lise frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I'm sick of this place. I gotta get out of here."

"Go where? It's all the same. The men are all the same."

"I don't need a man."

"Says you. I'm sick of seeing you staying home all the time."

"If there is someone out there for me, I haven't found him yet. But I know that once I do, I'll know it. That said, I guess I should tell you now, since you'll probably hear about it through the grapevine."

Lise's eyes narrowed. "Tell me what?"

"I put in for a transfer a couple months ago and it got approved."

"And when were you planning on telling me this?"

"When I found out where it is I'm going. I just found out today they're sending me to PHX."

Lise thought about it for a second. "They're sending you to Phoenix? As in Arizona? Are you insane?"

"Probably, but I need a change. Vancouver is nice and all but I've lived here for most of my life and nothing exciting ever happens."

"Why not go back to Missing Persons? You were good at that."

"Too depressing."

"What about the DEA? You liked that."

"Too dangerous. Besides, I like Border Patrol. It keeps me on my toes and it's fun to see people's faces when they've been found out."

"You get that here."

"Not as much as I would in the states. It's pretty calm here by comparison. When was the last time you took down a drug kingpin or a mule from Thailand?"

Lise thought and then shrugged. "I can't remember."

"Exactly my point. I came out here to help my dad, but now that he's gone, I've got no reason to stay. And I always felt at home in Phoenix. We used to go there in the summer when I was a kid. You should come with me," Gin suggested. "Besides, I can't go and leave you alone with guys like that. Look," she pointed to a couple of men who walked into the bar. One was tall, lean, and scruffy but had very striking blue eyes. "You'd hurt yourself."

Lise looked in the direction Gin was pointing and saw the younger man with the brown eyes and boy-next-door looks standing next to him. "Which one?"

"The good looking one."

"They both are."

"Okay then the scruffy, taller one."

"He's alright, if you like that type."

Gin continued to watch the tall, blue eyed man in the grey newsboy cap. He was the complete opposite of his friend who was wearing a suit, since he was in jeans, a wrinkled shirt and a leather jacket.

Just then, the scruffy one looked over at her and their eyes locked.

"I see what you mean," Lise muttered. "Hot damn! Now that's a tall glass of water. Let's go talk to him."

"No!" Gin laughed as she grabbed onto Lise's arm. "We're going. I have to be at work tomorrow."

"Since when has that stopped you? And your shift doesn't start till almost noon, so your argument is invalid. Besides, karaoke is going to start in a bit."

"Oh no, I'm not singing tonight. My throat hurts."

"Bullshit. Have another bellini and you'll be singing a different tune. Ha! See what I did there?"

Gin rolled her eyes but sat back down while Lise ordered them another round.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Wilson asked House as they sat at the other end of the bar and sipped their beer.

"How could I not? She's been staring at me since we walked in."

House observed the taller woman with interest. She was younger than he, but not by much. He guessed probably in her mid to late thirties. She had very short dark hair with some blonde streaks and a very athletic figure. Or at least her upper body was. He could see the muscle definition in her arms and shoulders with the tank top she wore. When she caught him looking, she immediately turned away and he snorted a laugh.

"What?" Wilson asked.

"Nothing. You should go talk to them. See what they want."

Wilson laughed. "Why me?"

"Because you want to."

"I'll start off subtle and work my way up from there. Bartender, another round for the ladies at the end."

Gin was finishing off her Bellini when the bartender slid two more drinks in front of them.

"Hey, um, we didn't order these," she scowled.

"They're from the gentleman," the bartender said and pointed at Wilson.

Lise glanced over and giggled.

"Nice! Chivalry isn't dead after all. Now we have to go talk to them."

"Go ahead. I'm staying right here.

"Chicken."

"Trollop."

Lise walked over to the two men while Gin watched, nursing her new drink. Five minutes later, Lise returned with the two men.

"Gin, this is James and his friend, Greg. They're doctors from out of town."

"Hi."

"Guys, this is my good friend, Virginia Wolfe, although everyone just calls her Gin."

"Your parents book lovers?" House asked her as he stood next to her.

"Yes, as a matter of fact."

"And what about the Gin? Is that due to a love of Gin and Tonic or…."

"No, it's just Gin."

"Hey, why don't we grab a booth?" Wilson asked them as he pointed to an empty one in the corner of the bar. "It's a little quieter over there."

The only thing Gin wanted to grab was a taxi so she could go home and get away from was getting some very strong male dominating vibes coming from Greg, which didn't surprise her. She could definitely feel that he was the alpha male in his friendship with James Wilson. Although James was giving off his own vibes of being somewhat of a womanizer, he seemed very reserved. Still, Gin sensed he was a wolf in sheep's clothing.

"So what brings you fine gentlemen to Beautiful B.C.?" Lise inquired once they were settled with a fresh round of drinks.

"This guy thought it would be cooler than L.A.," House griped as he glared at Wilson.

"It is that," Lise said with a smile at Wilson, who grinned back at her. "Excellent choice."

"Don't encourage him. He's on the hunt for the next ex Mrs. Wilson."

"Oh you poor thing," Lise purred as she moved a little closer to the younger man. House merely rolled his eyes.

Gin watched Lise with awe. She was definitely on the prowl and had Wilson in the cross-hairs.

"So how long are you in town?" Gin inquired, trying to draw House into the conversation.

"We're just passing through," House said in between sips.

"Where were you before this?"

"Hawaii."

"That would explain the wicked tans," Lise smiled. "Do any surfing?"

"Some, but it was mostly pretty laid back."

"Emphasis on the laid part," House leered at Gin, who rolled her eyes. If he was trying to get her attention, he had it.

"Well, why not? You're on vacation, after all. If that's what it takes to recharge the batteries, so be it."

"The vacation isn't over yet," House said with another leer in Gin's direction.

"So what do you do?" Wilson asked Lise.

"I work Border Security at YVR, so does Gin."

"Ooo frisk anyone lately?"

"Mmm, no, but I'm sure that could be arranged," Lise purred at Wilson. She was already practically in his lap and Gin had had enough. She emptied her glass and picked up her purse.

"Well, as entertaining as this is, I need to get some sleep, so I'll be going. G'night everyone."

As she stood outside on the curb to wait for a cab, House came out. "Leaving so soon?"

"Yeah, I have an early shift."

"Just when we were getting to know each other."

"We weren't actually."

A taxi pulled up and House opened the door. "We'll share it. I'm heading back to our hotel anyway. Wilson and your hell cat girlfriend can find their own way home. I'd just as soon not catch a live show."

Gin shrugged and moved across the seat so he could get in.

"Aquarius Mews, Yaletown," she told the driver, and sat back, closing her eyes. It really wasn't that late, but she had put in a full day and it was catching up to her. However, she also knew that she wouldn't be able to get rid of Greg House easily.

The relief was that he wasn't giving off any creepy or dangerous vibes so sharing a cab with him wasn't a big deal.

It wasn't a long drive to her condo downtown and the sun hadn't quite set yet. "Not going to invite me up to see your swanky apartment?" he inquired with a grin.

"It does have quite a view. Want to see it?"

"Lead the way," he said as she paid the driver and got out.

Gin had no idea what possessed her to invite him up to her condo but the one part of her that was attracted to him seemed to be making all the decisions. She unlocked her door and stepped aside to let him in. "Coffee?"

"Sure."

While she set about doing that, House wandered through the living room, taking in the floor to ceiling windows and the setting sun over False Creek.

"Nice place."

"Thanks. I almost hated to sell it."

He turned around. "You're moving?"

"Yep. I've been transferred to the southwest. I leave in a couple of weeks."

"Oh. Is that a good or a bad thing?"

"Good. I think. I just need a change."

"I dunno. This place is pretty nice," House said as he continued to wander around and look at things.

"It was my Dad's. He passed away a few months ago so I've updated it a bit with the intent to sell."

"Sorry to hear that."

Gin shrugged. "Everybody dies."

"What was the cause?"

"Complications of Parkinson's. He was pretty strong, and he lasted a lot longer than they said he would. Anyway, how do you take your coffee?"

"Just sugar," he said and then took the mug from her. "How many square feet is this?"

"Just over a thousand. Two bedrooms, two baths. I've gotten a couple of offers so now I'm just waiting to see which one goes through."

"Do I get a tour?"

She shrugged, too tired to care at that point. "Sure, it'll be a quick tour, though."

After showing him the den, her bedroom and then the second bedroom, House took a seat on the bed and bounced a little. "Bed's comfy."

"I wouldn't know."

He held his hand out to her, but she folded her arms across her chest. "What? I'm not doing this."

"What?"

"I'm not coming over there."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't do one night stands."

"Who said it had to be one night?"

"You did. You said you were just passing through. You're probably leaving tomorrow, the old cliche of being gone when I wake up. Thanks but no thanks."

"Actually no. Wilson might be leaving, but I'm in no hurry to get back. In fact, you've given me a valid reason to stay."

"Don't you have a practice or...something?"

"Not at the moment. I'm a free agent. Now c'mere."

Gin weighed the options quickly. He was good looking, sexy, no doubt smart. She hadn't had sex in so long she couldn't remember and he was willing. What was the harm?

She went over and sat down but the feelings and thoughts that rushed over her as soon as she sat hit her like a tidal wave and she stood up like she'd sat on a tack. The tears immediately started and she walked away, covering her face with her hands and sobbed quietly, leaving House completely confused and concerned.

"Hey, what...what's wrong?" he demanded as he stood up and followed her.

Images of her father, in pain, unable to catch his last breath as he lay dying in his bed were too much and she ran to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

"Gin?" House called to her as he knocked on the door and tried the knob. When he turned it, the door opened and he found her leaning against the sink as she splashed her face with cold water.

"Sorry…" she muttered. "Just...sometimes I have a hard time."

"It's okay." He grabbed a hand towel off the rack and handed it to her. "I guess it's hard for you to stay here."

"Yeah. That's why I have to leave. Too many memories."

He nodded. "Want me to go?"

"No, it's fine. Go back to the living room, finish your coffee. I'll be there in a minute."

House quietly left and went back to the kitchen where he left his coffee cup and heated it in the microwave for thirty seconds. He did the same for hers and sat down on the couch. He wanted to leave right then, but something about her made him feel like he should stay.

When she entered the room, she was still pale but she smiled at him and sat down. "So where are you staying?"

"The Sutton Place hotel." He reached for her wrist and began taking her pulse, which made her snicker. His hands were warm and soft, though and he seemed very focused on the task at hand.

"Am I going to live, Dr. House?"

"Your pulse is a little too fast. Maybe you should get a stiff drink instead."

"If I had anything. I don't drink."

"You were drinking tonight," he pointed out.

"Yeah and I only had two."

Unsure what to do or say next, he simply took another sip of the coffee and sighed. "So what else is there to do here?"

"Depends on what you like to do."

"Do you run?"

"Yes."

"Where do you run?"

"Along the seawall."

"Where's that?"

"Look outside, you'll see a stretch of road that curves around the marina."

House got up and stood by the window looking out. "I could be down for that. What time do you go?"

"Seven."

"I'll be here tomorrow at seven then," he said as he grabbed his jacket.

"Leaving so soon?"

"Yeah, gotta make sure Wilson gets in okay. His flight leaves tomorrow at noon."

"And you're staying?"

"If you want me to," he said as he put his jacket on. "Do you?"

"I'd like that. I don't get out much."

"Yeah I gathered."

Gin walked him to the door and unlocked it. "Tomorrow morning then?"

"Yeah. I'll be here."

"Great. See you then."

House managed to hail a cab down the street and when he got back to the hotel room, Wilson was already there.

"Strike out?" House chuckled as he started to get ready for bed himself.

"Not at all. Did you?"

"Yes and no. Turns out Virginia Wolfe doesn't do one night stands."

"Lame. Lise was very willing. We never even made it out of the bar before she cornered me as I was leaving the men's room and shoved me into a storage closet."

"I knew she was a hell cat. So how was it?"

"Hot."

House climbed into his bed as Wilson began tossing clothes into his suitcase. "Aren't you going to pack? We leave tomorrow."

"No, _you_ leave tomorrow. I'm staying right here."

Wilson stopped. "What? Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"I thought you were going to start sending out resumes to local hospitals."

"I will. When I get back."

"And when's that?"

House shrugged. "Whenever I get tired of Vancouver." He pulled the covers up to his neck and rolled onto his side, signaling that he was done talking.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: *echoes* Hello...Is there anybody out there? I guess with it being Easter weekend people are away or having dinner or whatever. That's cool. Here's another chapter for those of you who have left comments. Thanks!**_

 **Chapter Two**

The buzzer rang at 6:45 just as Gin finished zipping up her hoodie. Smiling to herself, she grabbed the phone. "Wolfe."

"It's House. Lemme up."

"Come on in."

By the time he knocked, Gin had her Asics tied and when she answered the door she was a little surprised.

He stood there, wearing a hoodie as well, running shorts and Nikes. He'd also trimmed his beard and he wasn't wearing a hat, showing off his curly brown hair.

"Good morning, Dr. House."

"Morning. Ready to go?"

"Yeah, I just gotta fill my water bottle. Do you need one?"

He held his up. "Got one."

"I'm sorry but it'll have to be a quick run. I got a call to go into work a couple of hours early."

"That's fine. Gives me a chance to see Wilson off."

"Oh, well that works. Let's go. We should be able to get a couple of miles in. Then we can hit the Starbucks on the way back."

"Sounds like a plan."

They jogged around the entire seawall and then ended up at the Starbucks across the street from her building.

"That was a good run," he said as he sat down at the table, still panting.

"Yeah it was. It helps that the weather cooperated."

"Yeah. I hate running in the rain."

"It's a given around here," she said as she took a sip of her iced chai latte. When they were done, she checked her watch. "I have to get back, get changed and head to work. Does your friend need a ride to the airport? The hotel is on my way."

"Yeah I think he'd appreciate that."

"Alright, come on then."

While she was in the shower, House called Wilson to let him know they would be picking him up so he wouldn't need to take a taxi.

When he heard the bathroom door open, he couldn't resist a peek and he was not disappointed. Even though she had a towel wrapped around her, he could tell that she was in very good shape and took good care of herself.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," she called out, amusement in her voice.

"If my phone had a camera, I would!" he called back.

"It's not like you haven't seen it all before anyway," she said as she moved around the room getting her clothes.

"Not very modest, are you?" he said from around the corner, respecting her privacy enough to let her dress in peace.

"Not when there's a doctor in the house." Then she laughed. "Ha! See what I did there?"

"Cute, Gin."

She came out of the room dressed in her uniform and House felt a warm feeling come over him as he took in her appearance. She was striking, but even more so in her official gear. "Could you look any more androgynous?"

"Probably not," she laughed. "Believe me, it's better this way. I don't get hit on much anymore than when my hair was long."

"You had long hair?"

"Yeah." She went to the dresser and showed him a picture. She looked good then too, but the short hair definitely suited her much better and made her look ten years younger.

"You look better now," he said and put the picture back on the dresser.

"Thanks."

They stood there looking at each other for another minute before she cleared her throat. "We have to get going."

"Okay."

He followed her down to the garage where a shiny silver 1997 Pontiac Trans Am waited. "This is your car?" he asked in awe. It was pristine and had the Firebird logo on the hood.

"Yep. I like my cars fast."

"Clearly," he said as he got in and buckled up. She gave him a sexy grin as she started the engine and peeled out of the parking lot.

When she picked Wilson up, House stayed behind at the hotel, since he didn't want to be stuck in the cramped, practically non-existent back seat.

While he was in the tub, Wilson called him.

" _Hey, I'm just about to board the plane but I gotta tell you what happened. Gin was working when I was going through customs and she was great. She arrested this guy who was acting kinda funny. He got tagged for secondary search and he threw a total fit. Then she and this other officer took him down. It was pretty cool seeing her in action."_

"I'll bet."

" _How was your run this morning?"  
_

"Fine. It was a nice change of scenery from the usual places and she was able to keep up the whole way."

" _So she's got stamina,"_ Wilson chuckled. " _Good to know."_

"Yeah."

" _So when are you going to see her again?"_

"I don't know. I don't have her number and she doesn't have mine so…"

There was a chuckle on the other end. " _Yes she does."_

"Huh?"

" _She asked me for it."_

"Really?"

" _Yep. So expect a call. I gotta go."_

"Cya. Have a good flight."

" _Thanks."_

* * *

After dinner, House was relaxing on the couch watching a game when his cell rang and it was from an unknown number. Throwing caution to the wind, he answered it on the off chance it was Gin.

"House."

" _Hi, it's Gin."_

"How did you get my number?"

" _Wilson didn't tell you I gave it to him?"_

"You could have just asked me for it."

" _I was too rushed to get going this morning so it slipped my mind. Anyway, I'm calling because I have two tickets to the laser light show at the Planetarium tonight. Have you ever been to one?"  
_

"No, not that I know of. What is it?"

" _They play Pink Floyd music in a dark room and play video on the ceiling with lasers."_

"Sounds cool. I'm in."

" _Great. Have you eaten?"  
_

"I had something at the bar, but that was awhile ago."

" _Okay, well I'm starving and I'm just heading home to change. I'll come get you and we can grab something before the show starts."  
_

"What time is that? It's already seven."

" _Ten."_

"Oh, we've got time then."

" _Yeah. There's a great seafood place on Granville Island we can go. You don't have shellfish allergies do you?"_ She asked, sounding worried.

"No food allergies."

" _Good. I'll be by to pick you up in half an hour."_

"Okay. Cya then."

House looked at himself and decided a change of clothes were definitely in order so he changed into a band tee and a pair of jeans, throwing on a suit jacket instead of his usual leather jacket. Exactly thirty minutes later, she called him again. " _I'm just pulling up now. Come outside."_

"So bossy," he teased.

" _Wanna make somethin of it? Punk?"_ she said with a laugh.

"What if I do?"

" _Behave or I won't let you drive."_

"Ohh, playing hardball. I like it."

" _I'll remember that. Now move your ass and get down here,_ " she said and then ended the call.

He came outside, climbed into the car and noticed she had the roof open. "Niiiice," he said.

"It's a nice night and there's no rain in the forecast."

She took them across the Granville Street bridge to a seafood restaurant called the SandBar and House was impressed with the menu. It was all fresh seafood caught that day.

"So, you impressed Wilson today, and I think you might've scared him a little," House said with a chuckle.

"How did I do that?"

"He told me about how you took down that guy."

Gin cocked her head to one side and thought about it. She'd taken down a few guys that day but she knew which one he was referring to. "Oh, him. Yeah he was some entitled prick who got mad because he was randomly chosen for secondary inspection. I didn't really care what his problem was, but he made some racist remarks about the other passengers and that's where I drew the line. If he hadn't been such an ass about it, he would've made his flight. But since he wanted to be a whiny little bitch, it caused us to have to check all his bags, which needed to be taken off the plane."

"Did you find anything?"

Gin smiled. "Nope. Just shoved his stuff back to him and wished him a nice day."

"I'll bet that went over well," House chuckled.

"Like a lead balloon."

They had dinner and then drove to the Planetarium. It was still early so they wandered along a path that overlooked the Vancouver skyline.

"I always loved this place," she said as they walked along.

"It is nice. I could live here."

"I doubt it. Our healthcare system is a joke. You'd go insane. People wait for months to get an MRI, sometimes even longer to see a specialist. Don't even get me started on ER wait times."

He cringed. "That bad, huh?"

"Yeah. But I'm sure you don't want to talk about our piss poor healthcare."

"Yeah it's kind of a mood killer."

Gin snorted and then sat down on a bench. "We've got about fifteen minutes until we have to go back to the Planetarium."

"Hmmm, what to do for those fifteen minutes…" House wondered aloud as he tapped his chin.

"I can think of a few things," she said with a sexy grin, "but I don't do the exhibitionist thing."

"That makes two of us. Unless…"

"Unless what?"

"We're in the back row of a darkened movie theatre."

Gin let out a deep laugh. "No such luck at the laser show, I'm afraid. Not the way the seats are set up, anyway."

"Damn. There goes that idea."

"If you wanted to make out in the dark we could've just stayed in the car."

House made a face and shook his head. "Nah. I don't feel like getting a gearshift up my ass and the backseat is too small."

"Nice image," she said, dryly.

"I call it like I see it."

"Do you always have to have the last word?"

"Yes."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Good."

"Argggh!" she groaned and scrubbed her hands over her face, but she was laughing. "You're infuriating!"

House merely grinned and didn't say anything more as he watched a couple of people walk past.

"Tell me a story," he asked her. "Something crazy that happened at your job."

"Hmm let me think," she said as she thought back among the thousands of passengers she'd encountered. "Well, there was a lady from France who came over here to meet a man she met on the internet. She looked old, and run down."

"Rode hard and put up wet?"

Gin nodded. "Exactly. So I asked her if she had any money, and she said she had five hundred in a savings account, which seemed kind of odd, since she said she planned to stay for two months. Vancouver is the most expensive city in Canada, after all. So we asked her if she thought that would last her for that long and she said yes. But when we asked her again about the money later she said she had nothing at all and when I questioned her about that, she said she lied."

"This just keeps getting better and better," he said, clearly amused .

"When I asked her what she planned to do if they decided to stay together she said it was none of my business.'

House laughed. "Wrong answer, lady."

"Yeah. She seemed bored and uninterested with the whole thing. So we brought the boyfriend in, because he was waiting for her and we wanted to find out what the deal was. So get this, apparently he lived in a shelter and was planning to get her a bed there too so she could stay with him."

"So he didn't have any money either."

"Nope. So I talked to the supervisor and he gave me the go ahead to write up an exclusion order, to bar her from coming into Canada. That's when the shit really hit the fan." She glanced at her watch and stood up. "We should head back."

House got up as well and they headed back to the building. "So what happened?"

"She started swearing at us in French, said she wasn't going to sign the order and I told her it didn't matter if she didn't sign it, she was still being put on the next plane back to France. She continued to make a scene so we ultimately arrested her. It was clear she planned to live illegally in Canada and get by on public funds."

They made their way back to the building and were seated for the show, sitting side by side in reclining seats so they could stare up at the large domed ceiling.

* * *

 _The story about the French lady at the airport actually happened. You can see it in an episode of the Canadian version of Border Security, season 1._


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Here's another chapter :) Thanks for reading and reviews. They've helped breathe some new life into this otherwise doomed story.**_

 **Chapter Three**

"Well that brought back memories," House said as they walked back to her car.

"Oh yeah?"

"Oh yeah," he grinned. "Some good parties back in the day, and that album was usually played."

"When was that?"

"Late seventies, early eighties."

"Ah. A little bit before my time."

House laughed. You wish. When did you graduate high school?"

"Ninety-five."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"Well you could've fooled me. I had you pegged for older."

"Shut up, House," she laughed as she drove. It was a short drive to his hotel and when she pulled up, he turned to her.

"So, ever seen a suite at the Sutton?"

"No."

"Do you want to?"

She glanced at her watch. It was late, but she wasn't tired yet. "Sure, I can come up for a bit."

"Great."

The valet opened the door and she handed him the keys. "You break her, I'll break your face."

"Yes, ma'am."

"A little hard on him, don't you think?" House said with a chuckle as they got into the elevator.

"Hey, when you catch the valet taking your car for a joyride, let me know how that feels."

"Like in Ferris Bueller?"

"Exactly like Ferris Bueller. I gave a guy a ten to park it somewhere safe and he did...in Washington State!"

"Jesus. How did you find out?"

"Does it matter?" she asked as she smiled sweetly at him.

"Well you can't begin a story like that and not deliver."

She shrugged. "I was only gone about an hour, but that was long enough for him to drive down there. The guy at the gate called him and told him to get his ass back, and when he did, the cops were waiting for him. He did time for that little trip. Hope it was fun."

House let them into the room and headed to the mini bar. "Drink?"

"Is there wine?"

"Red or white?"

"Red, please."

She wandered out onto the small balcony and leaned against the railing, watching the street many floors below. House brought her wine and stood next to her as he sipped his own drink.

"See anything interesting down there?" he whispered as he leaned over and began placing gentle kisses down the side of her neck.

She turned her head to the side to give him even more access, as his whiskers felt good, tickly against her sensitive skin.

"Mhm no. Nothing I haven't seen before." She took a long sip of her wine and let out a contented sigh as House continued to nibble a spot behind her ear which she never realized could feel so good. "It's chilly tonight."

"It's warmer inside," he whispered as his arms slid around her waist to pull her against his body. She could feel his arousal through his jeans and it made her pulse quicken.

"I'm sure it is," she said as she turned around to look at him. Damn, he was fine. His blue eyes were dark with what could only be perceived as lust and he was staring intensely at her as if he were waiting for something.

He took her hand and led her back inside, closing the sliding doors and locking them, then he went and sat on the edge of the bed. "It's a nice bed, and you're overdressed."

"Am I?" she asked as she continued to sip her wine, keeping a safe distance.

"I don't bite, Gin. At least not on the first date."

"And I don't put out on the first date, so we're even."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. You have your standards, I have mine."

"This could technically be considered a second date, since we went running this morning."

"That wasn't a date, that was exercise."

"This date could be great exercise too," he said with a sexy grin that caused a flutter deep in her belly. "You seem very tense, Gin. Are you always so uptight?"

She sighed as she went and sat down next to him on the bed. "No, I just... it's been a long time, that's all."

"So then we won't rush things," he said as his fingers gently touched her cheek and touched her lips. "Such nice lips," he whispered. "Are they as soft as they look?"

"Only one way to find out."

He leaned over and kissed her, his lips softly brushing against hers, tasting the wine. Gin let out another contented sigh and wrapped her arms around his neck as the kiss deepened. Her fingers buried in his hair at the nape of his neck and her lips parted to allow his tongue to explore. He was an amazing kisser, and Gin could feel her resolve slipping. She tasted the scotch on his tongue as it flicked against hers and it was not at all unpleasant.

It all seemed so surreal as he moved on top of her and slid his hands under her shirt, feeling the smooth fabric of her bra. "Niiiice," he whispered against her skin as he kissed the base of her throat. Gin smiled down at him and was about to help him get out of her shirt when the phone in her pocket started vibrating.

"Is that a phone or a pocket vibe?" he asked with a chuckle as his hand slid down to the back pocket of her jeans to retrieve the phone. "Damn, I was hoping for the latter."

"If it was, it wouldn't be in my _back_ pocket," she chuckled as she took the phone from him.

"Good point."

She glanced at the caller and frowned. It was late for the RCMP to be calling her. It could only be one person, her friend Richard "Rich" Slater. "Sorry, I need to take this."

"At midnight?"

"Duty calls," she shrugged as she got up off the bed. "Wolfe."

 _"Hi, Gin, sorry it's so late but I'm kinda in a quandary here."_

"You must be if you're calling me this late."

 _"Missing girl, teenager, seemingly walked off the face of the earth yesterday."_

"Rich, I don't do this anymore…"

 _"I know, but we're going crazy over here and the press is breathing down our necks because she's the daughter of a cabinet member."_

Gin closed her eyes and rubbed a hand over her face. "Fine. Send me everything you have to my place. I'll look at it when I get home."

 _"Will do. Thanks. I'll send someone to come drop it off."_

"Just slide it under the door."

 _"Done."_

She ended the call and sighed. She was still feeling warm and fuzzy but she knew it would have to wait.

"I gotta go."

House blinked as he watched her grab her jacket. "What? Now? And who was that?"

"A friend I used to work with."

"Must be some friend to be calling you at midnight."

"He is, actually. We still help each other out when the situation arises and this is important."

House gave her another one of his sexy grins that almost made her stop and tell Rich to go to hell.

"More important than me helping you relieve some tension?"

"I'm afraid so, yes."

He turned serious. "What is it?"

"Sometimes the RCMP needs help on a missing persons case. I don't do it anymore, but when Rich calls me, it's pretty bad so I help when I can."

"Help how? You think you can find them?"

"I usually do. One way or another."

"What does that even mean?"

"Look, I don't have time to go into it right now. I have to get home and go over the case and see if I can even help at all."

He nodded and got up to see her out. "Can I see you tomorrow?"

"I don't know. It depends."

"On what?"

"If I'm still working on this case. I'm off tomorrow but I might have to go to RCMP head office."

"Okay, then call me if you can. I'd like to continue what we started," he growled in her ear before he kissed that spot again and kissed a trail down her neck and then across her throat until he arrived back at her mouth. His kisses were intense and very insistent, chipping away at her resolve even more.

"Damn you," she murmured as she dropped her jacket and let him pull her against him. One hand was buried in her hair and the other was sliding down her back before it rested on her ass and squeezed playfully. "House...Greg…."

"Mhm?"

"I gotta….I gotta go."

"Do you?"

"Yeah," she said as she pulled away from him, panting slightly. Her lips were pink from whisker burn and her face was flushed. "I'll call you tomorrow."

"It is tomorrow," he said with a grin.

"Okay, then I'll call you later. G'night."

"G'night," he said as he opened the door to let her out.

When Gin got back, there was a large manilla envelope shoved under her door and she picked it up. It was thick, and she tore it open as she headed to the kitchen to make herself some coffee.

She opened the envelope and some papers and a pair of earrings slid onto the table. She ignored them for the time being to read the file and study the picture of the girl, Michelle DeWitt. She was young, in her late teens, pretty and athletic. When Gin touched the photo she felt a surge of electricity and her brain went into overdrive.

She saw the woods, someone running, or being chased, the rain, heavy breathing and then falling.

Her whole body felt cold, and her head was throbbing. Suddenly, Gin couldn't breathe and she gripped the sides of the kitchen table until her knuckles were white, trying to catch her breath. When she did, it felt like, or seemed like a candle being snuffed out and all the sensations suddenly stopped.

"Oh Jesus," she breathed as her heart continued to race. She reached for the phone and called Richard.

He answered on the first ring. " _What's the word, Wolfe?"  
_

"We need to go. Gather your team."

" _Okay, where?"  
_

"The Watershed."

" _In North Delta?"_

"Yeah we'll start there...then work our way down to the bog. Oh, and the cadaver dogs might be useful."

" _This isn't going to end well, is it?"  
_

"Nope. I'm sorry."

" _Not as sorry as Michelle's family is going to be. I'll come get you in the morning. You can give me the details on the way out there."_

"What time? I need some sleep and it's already three in the morning."

" _Eight good?"_

"Yeah I'm wiped out so I'll probably crash pretty fast. Call me when you're close and I'll come down."

" _Got it."_

Two days searching the watershed didn't bring any results but then, it was a big area. However, the further north they went, the stronger the sensations became until they were at the base of the Fraser River and wandering along the shoreline.

While Gin stumbled along the logs and rocks, she abruptly stopped and whirled around, nearly knocking Richard over.

"What the hell, Wolfe?"

"We're going the wrong way," she said and started walking faster before breaking into a dead run. The team and the cadaver dogs were heard in the distance and then the barking got louder and more insistent.

"We got something!"

Gin didn't even have to ask what. She knew what. Or rather, whom.

Buried carelessly under some leaves, branches and dirt were the remains of Michelle DeWitt. The animals had found her and picked at her a little but most of her was still intact.

"We need help over here!"

"Call the Coroner."

All Gin could do was stand back and watch them reveal the rest of the body as the skies seemed to open up and the rain came down. Hard.

* * *

When House didn't hear from Gin for a couple of days, he got bored, and when Greg House got bored, he got restless. And when he was restless, that's when he needed to entertain himself. So he took a cab to Gin's building and when she didn't answer the door, he went to the coffee shop across the street and kept lookout until she came back.

Two hours later, a police cruiser pulled up to the front of the building and he saw her, in a blue slicker and rubber boots. She said something to the driver, waved and ran inside the building to get out of the rain.

House paid his bill and headed over, ringing the buzzer.

 _"Hello?"_ She sounded out of breath.

"It's House."

 _"House? W-what are you doing here?"_

"Does it matter? Let me up."

 _"It's n-not a good time r-right now."_

"You haven't called me in two days. I got worried. I thought you might've gone missing looking for your missing person."

 _"W-well I didn't."_

"I see that. Let me up. I have coffee."

There was silence, and then the front door lock clicked open to let him inside.

When he came up, her door was ajar so he went in and closed it behind him. He was greeted by Gin, who looked like a drowned rat. Her eyes were red and puffy like she'd been crying and her teeth were chattering.

"I th-thought you s-said you had c-coffee."

"I lied. What the hell happened? Where've you been?"

"I found the m-missing person. Or r-rather, her b-body," she said quietly as she towel dried her hair.

"Damn."

"Yeah," she said and then went into the kitchen to start the coffee. "Coffee?"

"Sure. Are you okay?"

"I w-will be," she said simply as she walked back into her bedroom. Five minutes later, she emerged wearing a housecoat over what looked like pajamas.

"You're still shivering," he said, looking concerned. "Put the fireplace on and sit in front of it. Better yet, you should take a hot bath or something."

"I w-will eventually. I n-need coffee first."

She poured them both a cup and brought it into the living room on a tray with milk and sugar but her hands were shaking so much she would have dropped it if House hadn't intervened.

"Sit down," he ordered as he helped her sit and grabbed the throw blanket to wrap around her shoulders.

After a few sips of the coffee, she felt better and more at ease. Her hands shook less and she was warming up.

"So what happened?"

"I can't talk about the case and I'd rather not."

"Ooohkayyy," he said. "So what else have you been up to?"

She shrugged. "Just work and this case. And I'm sorry I didn't call you. I guess I should give you my number, huh?"

House grinned and moved a little closer. "That's an idea. In the meantime, I think you need a distraction."

"Mhm, I think you're right."

He leaned over, Gin did the same, and their lips met in a long, slow kiss. She closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh, content just to be kissed for the time being. He pulled her close as he kissed her again, nibbling her bottom lip.

"Warm yet?" he whispered against her lips.

"Getting there," she giggled.

"Good." He took her hand and it appeared he was merely examining it, but when he brought it to his lips and began kissing the tips of each finger, she felt like she was going to burst into flames. She leaned back against the cushions and watched him untie the belt of her robe. He seemed so focused on the task and when he looked back at her, his gaze was so intense it made her swallow hard, her mouth suddenly dry. She wanted him. All of him. It had been a long time since she wanted anyone that way, but House had awakened something and she was going to feed it. Whatever "it" was.

"Mhmm," she sighed as he nuzzled her neck, "That's nice. I could fall asleep right now…"

He stretched out a little more so she was lying somewhat on top of him, her cheek to his chest. Her eyes were already closed, her breathing had slowed down and within minutes, she was sound asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Wow, sorry about the delay. I got kinda stuck for awhile but I'm back to working on this :) Here's an EXTRA LONG chapter for you, with some hot sex to finish it off :)**_

 _ **Thanks to Shroom0381 for the nudge :)**_

 **Chapter Four**

When Gin woke up, House wasn't next to her anymore. His jacket on the couch and the smell of coffee let her know that he was still there and she went to pour a cup for herself before finding him outside on the deck.

"Morning," she said as she took a seat next to him at the patio table.

"Morning. It's nice out here."

"Yeah."

"So what's on the agenda for today?" he asked and then wiggled his eyebrows for effect.

"I have to be at work in a couple of hours."

"Call in."

Gin laughed and turned a slight shade of red. "No! I'm not calling in sick just to…."

"To what?"

"I don't play hooky."

"Not ever?"

"Nope."

"Well that's no fun. What am I supposed to do with myself all day?"

"Besides get into mischief? I have no idea. But how about I drop you off at your hotel so you can pack up and check out? Then I'll come by and pick you up later and we can have dinner."

"How long is your shift?"

"It's a short one today, only five you can stay out of trouble for that long?"

"What's in it for me?"

"I'd rather leave you guessing," she said with a grin that matched his. "This is my last shift and then I'm on holidays for two weeks."

"Nice. Whatever will you do with yourself?"

She reached over and covered his hand with hers. "Oh, I think I can come up with a few ideas."

"So can I."

"Yeah?"

"Oh yeah."

"Care to share?"

"Well it doesn't involve falling asleep in front of a fire. As nice as that was."

"It was nice, House. I meant to thank you for that. Also for not taking advantage of the situation. I'm sure a lot of guys would."

"Most likely. But I'm not like other guys," he said, giving her another of his intense stares, which she returned.

"I know. And for that I'm very grateful."

"So what else is there to do in town besides see laser shows and go to jazz clubs?"

"Not much. Unless…."

"Unless what."

"You want to get out of the city."

"And go where?"

"Whistler," she said with a grin. "It's about an hour and a half away, ski resort, although there's no skiing now but we could just go up, get a nice suite, chill out for a couple days. God knows I need a vacation."

"Yes you do. Although, Wilson and I went to Whistler before coming here and it wasn't all that exciting. What else ya got?"

Gin thought as she took another sip of her coffee. "Do you like spa resorts?"

"Sure."

"There's a place on the island, nice and quiet."

"Which island?"

She smirked. "Vancouver island. We'd take a ferry to Nanaimo and then drive to Parksville. They have log cabins but they're amazing. We could get a bungalow with a jacuzzi tub, and..."

"He held up his hand. "Stop. You had me at jacuzzi."

"Honestly though, I don't care where we go. I just want to be with you, someplace quiet where we can get to know each other before we part ways. You'll be going back to wherever, and I'll be moving soon."

"Where to?"

"I'm transferring to the Sky Harbor airport in Phoenix."

"Very nice."

"Yeah I think so. Anyway, I'll see what I can do while on my break at work. Now get your stuff and we'll head out. I'll be picking you up around three and then we'll head for the ferry terminal."

"Sounds good."

As promised, Gin picked House up at the hotel and he tossed his things into the trunk before getting in.

"We gotta jet. I got us on the 4:30 ferry and traffic to the terminal is insane."

"If we had a motorcycle I'd get us there in no time," he said as he buckled up.

"Yeah, well we don't, so hang on."

She peeled out of the parking lot and they were on their way. She knew which route to take which would get them there the fastest and they made it to the terminal in plenty of time to board the ferry.

It was a warm, sunny afternoon so they went outside on the deck and leaned against the railing as the wind whipped through their hair.

"I haven't been on a ferry in years. Certainly not one this big," House said as he looked out.

"Yeah this is a big one, but that's because it's peak time." She placed her hand over his on the rail. "I feel very close to you right now. As cheesy as that sounds, but I'm glad we're doing this."

"Getting away?"

"Yeah. It should be a nice relaxing weekend. You'll love the Grotto spa. It's amazing."

"I'm looking forward to the tub with jets. I assume it's big enough for two."

She nodded. "Yep. I got us a bungalow in the spa section of the resort so we just have to walk across a path and we're there."

"Sounds good to me."

He looked down at her hand over his, then at her before he moistened his lips and leaned in closer. Gin closed the gap between them and met his lips with her own in a slow, sweet kiss.

"Mhm," she murmured. "Kissing you is very addicting."

He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her as the kiss deepened.

"Get a room," someone muttered as they passed by them and Gin started giggling. The whistle blew and a bell sounded, alerting them that it was time to head back to the car.

"Can I drive?" he begged as he gave her puppy dog eyes.

"Sure. I printed out the directions."

"Perfect. You can be the navigator."

They headed back to the car and House got in behind the wheel. "This is gonna be fun."

It was a half hour drive to the resort but House got them there in twenty. He had to admit, driving the Trans Am was a bit of a turn on for him. The car had power, and was every bit as responsive as he wanted it to be.

He pulled into the parking lot of the resort and they checked in, were given their keys and drove over to the spa side where their bungalow awaited them.

"You liked driving, didn't you?" Gin asked him as they entered the room.

"More than I thought I would, yeah. It was pretty cool."

"If you're a good boy I'll let you drive back."

"Oh goody," he said with a childish grin that made her laugh. He looked around the room at the king sized bed, mini kitchenette and large soaker tub behind folding doors.

"This is nice."

"Yeah. It's like a rustic cabin on the outside with all the comforts inside."

He walked over to the bed and tested it out. "The bed's comfortable."

She came over and sat down next to him, bouncing a bit. "You're right."

"How long has it been since you were here last?"

"Maybe...ten years or so. They've expanded it a lot. I don't think these bungalows were here before."

"So what do you want to do first?" he asked.

"Are you hungry? They have a nice lounge."

"Sure, I could eat. But first…." he placed his hand on her cheek and kissed her again, softly at first, but then more insistent. Gin kissed him back with the same enthusiasm and let her hands rub his chest. "Of course...we could just stay in," he murmured against her lips.

She nodded. "We could…"

House glanced at his watch. "It's six-thirty. Maybe we should wait till the dinner crowd is over."

"You're right," she nodded, still rubbing his chest.

"Then after dinner we can try out that tub."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Are you always so agreeable?" he asked as his hand slid over her leg.

"Not always. There are some things I'm not into."

"Like what?"

She rolled her eyes. "You want to talk about this now?"

"Might as well get it out of the way."

"Why, are you planning on doing some freaky stuff?" she laughed.

"I might be. Did you bring handcuffs?"

"I have them in my car."

"Sexy."

Honestly, the idea of him using her handcuffs on her made that flutter in her belly return and she felt her cheeks grow warmer.

"And condoms?" she asked him.

"Always, although I got tested four months ago, totally clean, and I haven't been with anyone since then."

She nodded, glad to hear that, and she trusted that he was being honest with her because she knew he'd expect her to check.

"I have to be tested once a year and I haven't been with anyone in...God...I don't remember. How sad is that?"

"You're busy. It happens to all of us. But now we can both end that dry spell."

She sighed as his hand caressed the inside of her thigh. "I doubt I even remember how anymore."

He grinned at her. "It's just like riding a bike."

"It's been even longer since I've done that."

"Gin," he said as he turned her head towards his, and looked into her eyes. "Don't stress. It's just sex."

"It's not _just sex_ to me, which is silly because after this weekend we'll probably never see each other again and…"

He pulled her close for another long kiss. "Let's just enjoy the weekend and let whatever happens happen."

She nodded. "You're right."

Her stomach growled as if to say "amen" and they both laughed. "On second thought, maybe we'd better go eat. I'm starving," she sighed.

"Me too. Let's go."

* * *

They had dinner but decided to take their dessert back to their room and eat it later. When they returned, the fire was going and there was a bucket of champagne chilling on the table.

"Did you do this?" she asked him.

"I might have. So, how about that bath?" House suggested as he kicked his shoes off.

"Mhm," Gin nodded. "I could go for that." She went into the bathroom and started the water running, added some provided lavender scented bath beads and turned the jets on.

Meanwhile, House poured them each a flute of champagne, then turned the stereo on. Soft jazz filled the room.

"Quite a romantic scene you've set, House," she chuckled as she turned the water off.

"All the better to seduce you with, my dear," he growled playfully in her ear as he came up behind her.

"No seduction is necessary," she said as she took the flute he offered her.

"Well that's good to know because I'm not very good at it."

"Could've fooled me," she grinned and then went about getting undressed in front of him while he watched with interest.

She was very lean and muscular, but she still looked soft and feminine. When all she had left were the matching blue bra and panties, he could see the outline of her abs and the muscles in her legs and it sent his libido into overdrive. She was perfect. He wanted to skip the bath, pick her up and carry her to bed but she seemed intent on having a bath and it would certainly relax her.

She turned to him and smirked. "You're a little overdressed for bath time."

Not needing anymore incentive, he started undressing while she climbed into the tub and then scooted forward so he could get in behind her..

"Lean back," he whispered, and she did with another contented sigh as her head rested against his chest.

"This is nice," she said as she reached for her champagne and took a sip.

"Feeling better now?" he asked as he took a sip of his own.

"Very much so."

"Good."

They stayed like that for awhile, enjoying the jacuzzi experience and the silence wasn't awkward like she thought it might be. They were simply enjoying the moment for what it was: two people relaxing after a long day.

After twenty minutes, Gin was feeling slightly tipsy and her face was flushed.

"I'm getting out before I pass out," she giggled and started to rise. House did the same, took her hand and helped her step out before pulling the drain. He handed her a fluffy white towel and grabbed one for himself, wrapping it around his waist.

"More bubbly?"

"Trying to get me drunk, House?"

"I think you're already there."

"Good point."

"How about a massage?"

"MMm that sounds good. I think I saw some lotion in the bathroom."

She stretched out on the bed, towel still wrapped around herself, and waited for House. He topped up her glass, took some oil from his bag and grabbed a small towel. "Turn over," he instructed.

When he approached the bed, she was lying on her stomach, head to one side, eyes closed as if she were asleep. He let his hand slowly glide down the middle of her back and she murmured. "S'nice."

He put the oil on his hands, rubbed them together and began at her shoulders, gently massaging and kneading the tight knots and muscles there until he began to loosen them up, and then worked his way down her back.

"Is that...warming lotion?"

"Yep. KY's personal lubricant and warming massage oil. When you were working, I was shopping."

It felt heavenly! She kept her eyes closed and let herself relax and enjoy his ministrations. He was clearly seducing her, and doing a first rate job of it. She knew that when the massage was over, she was going to want more of him.

"Your skin's so soft," he whispered in her ear as he kissed it.

"So are your hands," she murmured. "I'll bet you've never done a hard day's work in your life, have you?"

"Hmmm nope."

After several more minutes, she sighed again. "You're entirely too good at this."

"It's all part of my seduction," he chuckled.

"It's working."

"Good. I'll let you know when you can turn over."

"Full body massage, huh?"

"Yep. I don't do anything halfway."

"I can see that about you."

"Time to lose the towel," he said as he gently tugged on it and pulled it away from her. She glanced at him over her shoulder and gave him the most seductive smile he'd ever seen and it made his jeans feel a bit more snug. He put some more lotion on his hands and gently massaged one cheek, then the other while she let out another content sigh.

"Mmm...Greg…"

He slid his hands lower, over the backs of her legs, behind her knees and then her calves. He noticed she was squirming against him and slid his hands back up, letting one slip down between her legs. She gasped when his fingers parted her folds and found her to be extremely wet.

"Like that, do you?" he asked her as his fingers continued to rub slowly up and down her wet core.

"Yesssss," she hissed and bucked against his fingers.

"Want to turn over now?"

She nodded and rolled over onto her back, stretching luxuriously like a cat while House fought with himself not to lose control. She was stunning, all of her. His eyes trailed down her body, then back up to her breasts and the nipples that were hard as pebbles.

He put some more oil on his hands, rubbed them together and went to work on her shoulders, then her breasts, paying extra attention to them for awhile.

Gin felt like her senses were on overload. His hands felt like they were everywhere at once, sliding with ease all over her body.

Each time his hands slid down the insides of her thighs, she arched her back and moaned softly. Her hand reached for him and stroked the very obvious bulge under his towel and he groaned.

When the towel fell away, she got an eyeful of his very impressive erection and she became even more excited at the prospect of him making love to her.

"So do I get a happy ending, Dr. House?" she asked with that same coy smile.

"I think that can be arranged," he said as two of his slick fingers slipped inside of her. "Mm, nice and wet for me, I see."

"You make me wet," she panted, squirming against his hand. "The way you look at me, the way you kiss me and touch me. I wanted you last night but I..."

"I know."

His fingers slid in and out of her in a slow rhythm and her breathing was becoming faster and more ragged. "Greg...please..."

"What do you want? Tell me," he whispered in her ear.

"I want you to make love to me."

"Want me to grab a condom?"

"No...I trust you if you trust me," she whispered as she reached up and stroked his cheek. "I want to feel you."

"Are you…on anything?"

She nodded as she pulled him down to kiss her. "You're killing the mood, House…"

He stared intensely at her as he moved to get into a comfortable position and then very slowly pressed himself inside of her warmth.

It was everything she imagined it would be and she cried out when he began to move slowly. She dug her nails into his back and wrapped her legs around his waist, urging him deeper.

It was like he couldn't get enough of her. She felt so good under him, and he fit so perfectly within her. When he glanced down at her face, she was staring back at him and her eyes were dark, pupils dilated. Her nails were probably drawing blood, but he didn't care. He was getting closer to the edge and he could feel that she was too.

"Oh, Greg…faster…" she grunted, tightening her legs around his waist and arching her back for the perfect angle. "Yes! Oh God!"

He gave it to her how she wanted, but kept a strong, steady rhythm until he felt her inner walls flutter around him and her body go limp as she let out a very pleasurable sigh.

He lay with her for several minutes and then rolled off of her when she shifted.

"That was…" she began to say and then gave her head a shake as if to clear it. "I don't have any words to describe it."

He merely grinned at her as he pulled the covers open for them to get into bed but she shook her head again. "I think I'm going to take a quick shower to wash the oil off."

"Good idea. Want some help in there?"

She laughed. "No, I think I can manage. When I come out we can have dessert."

"I thought _you_ were dessert," he said as his hand gently caressed one of her breasts.

"I seem to have worked up a bit of an appetite," she whispered as she leaned over and gently kissed him. "Back in a bit."


	5. Chapter 5

**_A/N: I'm glad you're all still reading and enjoying it. Thanks for the nice comments. :)_**

 **Chapter Five**

Gin stood under the powerful spray, letting the hot water beat down on her back as she washed herself off. When she was done, she stepped out, dried off and grabbed the robe on the back of the door.

House was sitting in bed, propped up against the headboard eating his piece of chocolate mousse as he watched TV.

"How is it?" she asked as she went to the fridge to get herself a piece.

"Fan-damn-tastic."

She climbed into bed and began eating.

"Sooo good," she murmured in between bites.

He glanced over at her, still glistening from her shower, her hair stood up at odd angles. "Nice hair."

"Thanks," she giggled as she continued to eat. It was then she looked at the TV and realized what he was watching. "Why are you watching porn?"

"Why not? There was nothing else on." He put his empty plate on the side table and rubbed his thigh as he continued to smile at her.

"Something wrong with your leg?"

"No, it's fine. Sometimes it just tingles now and then. It's nothing."

Gin placed her hand on his right thigh for a minute. Something wasn't right, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was.

"You should get it looked at."

"I have. Doctor said it was probably just a pinched nerve. The symptoms fit. It'll pass."

"And if it doesn't?"

"I'll get a second opinion."

"When we get back to town, you will."

He blinked. "What? Seriously? You know how much a trip to the doctor is here if you're not insured?"

"You're the doctor, you tell me."

"You live here, you tell me."

"Don't get mad just because you know I'm right. You might be a doctor but from my experience doctors make the worst patients."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah."

"Know a lot of doctors, do you, Gin?"

"A few. My Dad was sick for a long time. I got to know some of them very well. Cardiologists, Neurologists, Hematologists, you name it. They came from all over trying to diagnose him but by then it was too late."

He placed his hand on her leg and slid it higher. "Let's not mix business with pleasure, and ruin this weekend. We had such an awesome start."

She nodded and let out a contented sigh as his fingers caressed the sensitive flesh of her inner thigh. "You're right. It's just that…"

He placed his finger against her lips and smiled. "Shhh. No more medical talk this weekend. Deal?"

She nodded again and playfully nipped at his finger, causing him to chuckle. Then she reached for the remote and turned the TV off. "We don't need to watch that crap. We can make our own porn."

House's eyes lit up. "Oh yeah? Are we going to record it?"

Gin laughed. "Not on your life, stud."

"It was worth a shot," he sighed but leaned over and kissed her. She closed her eyes and allowed him to push her back against the pillows as his hands untied the belt of her robe. "You won't be needing this," he murmured against her lips as he gently shoved the robe off her shoulders and brushed it aside. His mouth then began devouring her neck, nipping and sucking at a particularly sensitive spot at the base of her throat.

Gin smiled and reached down to grip his shaft, giving it a firm stroke until it stood at full attention. "You will, however, be needing this."

"Keep that up and this will be over before it even starts."

She removed her hand and slid it up his body, her nails raking across his chest, noticing the way he hissed and took a breath when she toyed with his nipples. "Hmm, seems I've discovered a very sensitive spot."

"Just one among many."

"I discovered this one earlier," she whispered as she nipped at the base of his neck and along his clavicle.

He merely nodded and continued to watch as she kissed her way across his chest and went lower. His hand buried in her hair when her lips kissed just above his pelvic bone and when she took her first taste of him, running her warm tongue along his shaft, he groaned.

"Does that get you wet, Gin?" He asked her when she closed her eyes and continued to lick him like a popsicle.

She opened her eyes and gave him a sexy smile. "And if it does?"

He smiled back at her. "Then I think I've found my dream girl...ahhh….yessss," he hissed when she took him fully into her mouth.

* * *

Gin woke up to the smell of fresh brewed coffee and smiled to herself. She slept so soundly she couldn't remember the last time. House was looking in cupboards for something and then found a mug.

"If you're looking for food, there isn't any. I need to go to the store later and get some things."

"We should've stopped on the way here."

"Probably but...we had other things on our minds," she said with a wicked smile, which he returned.

"Coffee?"

"Please. Just milk."

He poured two cups and brought one to her. Climbing back into his own side of the bed.

"So tell me, why Phoenix?"

"The weather is better," she replied with a shrug. When he didn't look convinced, she continued. "I've always loved it there. We used to take family vacations every summer and I loved the hot weather and the scenery. Also, Sky Harbor airport is huge and not too far from where I'd like to live so it seemed like a no brainer."

"So that's where you're going after this weekend?"

"Yeah, gotta find a place. I should be able to get a lot of house for what my dad's condo sold for."

"Oh, it sold?"

"Yeah, the other day when I was in the field looking for that missing girl. I got a bit more than asking since a few people were really interested so it was pretty much a bidding war. But in the end, the first guys' credit fell through so the other guy got it for one-eight."

"Very nice. What will that get you in Phoenix?"

"I'm looking into Scottsdale, or Paradise Valley, which are high end neighborhoods, but I should be able to get a decent sized house with a pool. I'll see them in person when I go down there."

"Are you flying?"

She shook her head. "No, driving."

"Seriously?"

She laughed. "What? It's not that far. My family did it in 2 days."

"Yeah but you won't be. That's a lot of driving."

"No, that's true. My plan is 4 days. I can drive for long distances without getting tired."

"Lonely trip all by yourself. I smell a road trip!" he said as he rubbed his hands together.

She arched her eyebrow at him. "Don't you have to go back to Jersey?"

"Eventually. I'm between jobs right now and I don't have any offers on the table. Wilson will call me if he finds something. He's been asking around."

"I see. Although, why limit yourself to Jersey? You might decide you love Arizona."

"I might. I've only ever seen the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam. Never went to Phoenix."

"It's beautiful," she said with a far off wistful look. "I could stare at Camelback mountain all day."

"If I do come with you then you can make it down there in two days."

She smiled at him. "And it would be a hell of a lot more fun."

"Driving the Trans Am on the open road? Hell yeah."

"You're horny now, aren't you?" she laughed.

"Like you wouldn't believe," he said with a nod.

"Save it for later. I'm hungry and I want to go get breakfast."

"I'm game. What then?"

"The spa."

"Sounds like a fun filled day."

* * *

When they returned to their room, House literally collapsed on the bed and moaned. "I don't think I have any bones left. That masseuse removed them."

"I think she removed mine, too," Gin nodded as she collapsed next to him.

House had already fallen asleep at that point so she shrugged and closed her eyes as well, falling into a deep, relaxing sleep.

The sound of a cell phone began to ring, rousing House from sleep and he reached blindly into his pocket for it and flipped it open.

"House."

 _"Hey, what's up?"_ It was Wilson.

"I was having a nap so this better be good."

 _"Sorry. Nothing yet, but I did run into an old friend of yours."_

"Who?"

 _"Lisa Cuddy."_

House's eyes flipped open. Now there was a blast from the past. "Oh yeah?"

 _"Yeah. She's an Endocrinologist now, at Princeton Plainsboro."_

"So is that why you're calling me? To discuss my Michigan one night stands?"

 _"No but I told her you were in between jobs she seemed very interested in said she'd talk to the Dean of Medicine."_

"That's promising. In the meantime, I'm taking a little trip with Gin."

 _"Another one? House, are you ever coming back?"_

"I dunno."

 _"Where are you going?"_

"Phoenix. Nice little road trip."

 _"Seriously?"_

"Yeah. It'll be fun. I'm going to help her find a place to live down there and hell, who knows, if I like it, I might decide to stay. Oh, she's waking up, gotta run. She's going to want more sex and I can't disappoint." He ended the call and went to the fridge to grab a bottle of water for them.

"Wow, I didn't intend to sleep so long," Gin yawned and stretched.

"Me neither."

"What time is it?"

"Four."

"Mmm, I'm hungry."

"Where do you wanna eat?"

"I think there's an Irish pub down the road with a good menu, if memory serves."

"Sounds good."

"I'll just change first."

House watched her move around the room, go into her suitcase and select something to change into, and once she was ready, they headed to the pub.

After dinner, once it became too crowded, House and Gin stopped at a market to grab some groceries and returned to the hotel. "It's too early to call it a night yet. Let's go down to the beach," she suggested and began pulling him in that direction. "The tide's out. We can walk off dinner."

"And frolic in the tide pools?" he teased as they walked down the path that led to the beach.

Gin started laughing. "If you like."

Once they reached the sand, she kicked off her shoes and took her socks off before running toward the shoreline. House did the same and followed her as she laughed and just barely let him catch up before taking off again.

"Damn, woman," he called out as he continued to chase her down the beach.

"Having issues keeping up, House?" Gin taunted him as she stood in a nearby tide pool. The water was like a bath, having been warmed by the sun all day.

"You don't wanna bet me," he said as he approached, jogging over to her until they were face to face.

"Oh, I think I do." With a quick sweep of her leg, knocked them both down onto the wet sand.

House ended up in the water with Gin on top of him, still laughing. "You are in so much trouble," he grumbled as he wrapped his arms around her and flipped them over so her back was in the water and she screamed and struggled to get up but he held her hands down.

"Okay, playtime is over, it's cold. Let me up."

"This was your idea," he said and then lowered his head to kiss her.

Gin sighed and kissed back, her arms wrapping around his neck. She forgot about how they were lying in a puddle of water and surrendered to the moment for awhile. His kisses, she discovered, could be very distracting.

"Greg…House..I'm cold...and wet. We should head back."

"Wet is good," he whispered against her lips. "I can work with that."

She gave a laugh and then gently pushed his chest. "Come on. I'll still be wet when we get to the room. I have an idea."

"I like your ideas," he said as he stood and pulled her to her feet. They found their shoes and, both of them soaking wet, made it back amid stares from the other hotel guests as they passed. House's glares quickly caused them to avert their eyes, causing Gin to giggle.


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: I'm back. Well, I never really left. I've been working on Almost Heaven with Hughville while I waited for my mojo to return for this fic. Writer's block sucks. Anyway, I've had people asking me when I'm going to post so I went back and reacquainted myself with this story since it's been months. I've taken a fresh notion to it. So please be patient, as this story is still a work in progress and my thoughts and ideas are all over the place. That said, there's some smutty goodness in this chapter. Hopefully the wait is worth it :) I'll try to post again very soon!**_

 **Chapter Six**

When they got back to the suite, Gin turned the gas fireplace on while House grabbed the towels from the bathroom. "So what's this idea of yours?"

She smiled coyly and then held up the handcuffs, making his eyes widen in excitement. "And what are you going to do with those?"

"It's not what _I'm_ going to do, it's what _you're_ going to do."

"And what would that be?"

She ran a towel through her hair as she talked. "I want you to cuff me to the bed and do whatever you want with me."

He arched an eyebrow. _Well this is different._ "Define _whatever_."

"Whatever your pleasure."

"Okayyy...why?"

She put the towel down and sauntered over to him as she began to peel off her wet clothes. "Because sometimes I want someone else to be in control for awhile. I just want to relax and be taken care of. Think you can handle that?"

He nodded as he began peeling off his wet clothes. He left his boxers on for the time being. Once she was down to her bra and panties, she handed him the cuffs. "Do as you will."

"Go lie down on the bed. Lose the bra."

He watched her do as he asked as he opened the cuffs.

"You'll want a safe word. Just in case."

She nodded and thought about it for a second. "Beach."

"Put your arms up over your head," he instructed and cuffed one wrist, looped it through one of the bars of the headboard and snapped the cuff on the other wrist. "Okay?"

"Yes. Although remind me to get some fur-lined ones next time," she said with a serious expression.

"So noted. No more talking," he said, "or we'll get you a ball gag to go with those fuzzy cuffs."

She smirked at him but he could tell she liked the idea, as her breathing became a little more rapid and she squirmed a little, her legs rubbing together for extra friction.

"I never took you for a bondage girl," he said as he stood over her, lightly running his hand down her arm and across her chest, caressing each breast, pinching her nipples.

She merely shrugged then gave him a saucy grin and he followed her gaze to his shorts which had a very visible tent in them.

He shoved them down so he stood erect next to her and nudged her cheek with the tip of his cock so she turned her head and took it all the way into her mouth.

"Oh fuck, Gin…." he hissed as he felt her warm mouth take him all the way in. He immediately began thrusting gently at first. "That's it...take it all..."

She glanced up at him and he buried his hand in her hair, forcing her to take all of him and she didn't disappoint.

He felt the tingle in his balls that release was imminent so he pulled out of her mouth and walked to the foot of the bed. She didn't move as she watched him slide his hand down in between her legs, feeling how wet she'd become. "Spread your legs for me," he instructed.

She did so, but not wide enough for his liking. "Wider."

"That's more like it," he said as he settled in between her legs and began to feast on her.

There was something about being restrained while having that done to her that Gin couldn't describe. "Greg…"

"Mhm?"

"I need to touch you…"

"Soon…"

She let out a growl of frustration and squirmed against him. "I want you to make love to me...and I want to touch you…please…."

He loved hearing her beg so he nodded and reached for the keys. Once the cuffs were off, she surprised him by flipping them over so she was on top.

"Next time, you'll be wearing the cuffs," she whispered in his ear as she rubbed herself against him.

"You'll have to catch me first."

She gave a hearty laugh before she slid down and impaled herself on him. House closed his eyes and gripped her hips as he simply went along for the ride. And what a ride it was.

While it was over quickly, the ending was not at all disappointing and they both reached their climaxes together, holding each other close when it was all over.

"Mmm..well, that was an experience," she murmured as she pulled the covers up over them.

"A good one, I hope."

"Absolutely. I've always wanted to try bondage, just basic stuff like this at first, to see if I'd like it but I was always afraid that some guys would take things too far or it wouldn't be what I wanted. But this…was amazing."

House grinned. "Yeah it was. We'll definitely have to do it again soon."

"With the roles reversed."

"Like I said before, you'll have to catch me."

"Oh I will. Like the Mounties, I always get my man."

* * *

The next morning after breakfast, they packed up and headed back to the mainland. Once back at her condo, she made travel plans to stay at a hotel once they got there already having one in mind. When she hung up the phone, she smiled at him. "Done and done. We're booked at the Embassy Suites in Phoenix."

"Why not Scottsdale?"

"Do you want to pay nearly three hundred a night?"

House chuckled and shook his head. "Phoenix it is. When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow morning. Early. I want to reach Portland by breakfast."

"Quite a schedule."

"I told you I planned to get us there in two days and that's what we're going to do. We should make it to Redding around dinner time."

"Wow. You're hardcore."

She smiled and sauntered over to him. "You insisted on coming."

He allowed her to climb into his lap, ignoring the twinge in his thigh."I'm not the only one who will be coming on this trip, _if you know what I mean_ ," he said with an exaggerated wink.

Gin laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm sure I do. Speaking of which, once we pack up the car we should hit the sack early."

"If by hitting the sack you mean sex, I'm game."

"If you're good."

"I'm always good."

"You haven't let me down yet."

"And I don't plan to," he whispered as he placed kisses down on her neck and across her throat.

His kisses were overloading her senses and clouding her brain. There was a lot to get done and if he kept that up, it wouldn't be done at all.

"Greg...come on. It won't take long to pack the car and then we can go to bed."

He grumbled but nodded and they made several trips down to the car before it was packed and ready to go.

"I'm just going to take a quick shower before bed."

"That sounds good. Me too."

"Greg...it's a small shower."

"Then don't drop the soap," he teased as he slipped past her and went into the bedroom to strip down.

In the morning, House woke up to the smell of coffee and to find Gin putting drinks into a cooler for them.

"Get dressed and we'll head out," she said as she bustled around in the kitchen getting things ready. "There's a coffee travel thermos in the cupboard for you."

"Jesus, Gin, it's only three A.M." he groaned as he shuffled to the coffee machine to pour himself some.

"I told you we were leaving early."

"Yeah but I thought you meant like six or seven."

"You thought wrong. Now get a move on," she said as she checked the locks on all the windows.

House groaned but obeyed and twenty minutes later they were on their way to the border. As predicted, they made it to Portland Oregon in time for breakfast with him sleeping the majority of the way. After they ate, he drove them to a truck stop just past the California border.

"We're making pretty good time," Gin said as she looked at her map. "We should make it to Redding a bit early."

"Nice. I can drive some more if you want."

"No, I will, as I know where I'm going. You can drive in the morning."

"Deal."

"I'm surprised we didn't get any speeding tickets. I saw how fast you were going."

House shrugged. "You want to get there, don't you? And the car can handle it."

"Just be aware. They do have air radar in these parts and while my laser radar detector is good, if they shoot it right at us full on, it's too late and we're going to get nailed."

"Mmm...someone's going to get nailed, and she's going to like it," he leered at her.

Gin laughed and patted his leg. "Down boy, we still have a few hours till we're there. We'll see how ambitious you are when we get to Redding."

"Oh, I think I might surprise you."

They ate lunch and headed back on the road, arriving in Redding shortly after five P.M.

"I'm so hungry," Gin sighed as she dropped her bag on the floor of their hotel room and let herself collapse on the bed.

"There's a restaurant just across the street," House said as he stowed his bag on the luggage rack and opened it to take his toiletries out.

"Great. I'll just change and then we can head over there."

He watched her in the reflection of the bathroom mirror as she pulled her T-shirt over her head and stepped out of her yoga pants. Standing there in just a blue bra and matching panties, he felt his jeans suddenly become tighter.

He stood in the doorway and smiled at her, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"What?" she asked as she went into her suitcase for a shirt.

"You look hot like that," he said as he came into the room.

"Like what? Half naked?"

"Mhm," he said as he ran his hand gently over her breast, feeling the soft fabric of the bra.

She sighed and gave him a lazy smile as he continued to explore her body with his hands. "I thought you were hungry," she murmured as he began kissing her neck.

"I am...but food can wait…"


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: Yeah, I know it's been a LONG time since I've updated this story. That's partly due to a severe case of writer's block and then summer vacation/school starting. Anyway, I'm still working on this and I felt you all deserve another chapter. I plan to get this wrapped up before NaNoWriMo starts. I hope you're all still with me.**_

 **Chapter Seven**

House lay in bed and stared up at the ceiling. The room had gotten stuffy and he was finding it hard to get comfortable. He tried flipping the pillow, then kicked the sheets off of him but it wasn't to be. It was just too warm to get any respite.

"Are you awake?" Gin murmured in the darkness.

"Yeah. The real question is, why are you?"

"It's warm in here."

"Yeah. And the air conditioner, if you can call it that, is noisy as hell," House added. "What time is it?"

Gin glanced at the clock radio. "Just after four. Wanna get on the road then? I mean, we're both awake, might as well get a move on, then we'll be in Phoenix earlier."

House sat up and stretched. "I'm game. We should eat something first though. I'm sure there's a Denny's or an IHOP nearby."

"Yeah I'm sure we'll find some place that serves breakfast this early. Let's go."

They quickly gathered their things, checked out and drove for about fifteen minutes until they found a truck stop.

House drove until they approached Los Angeles and then Gin took over, since she knew the route from there, and by four P.M. she pulled into the parking lot of an Embassy Suites in Phoenix. House had dozed off and she gave him a gentle shake. "Greg?"

He mumbled something incoherent.

"We're here."

He opened one eye and then the other and glanced around. The heat hitting the pavement was creating a shimmery mirage effect and any sweat he might've had had already evaporated. Everything seemed dry as a bone. "Jesus, it's hot as blazes out here! Now I know why Arizona State's mascot is a freakin' devil."

Gin giggled as she got out of the car and grabbed her purse. "But it's a _dry_ heat. It'll be nice and cool in the lobby."

He followed her inside and collapsed on one of the chairs while she checked in. A few minutes later, she handed him a key card. "Come on, blue eyes. Let's get our stuff out of the car and then we can go for a swim before happy hour."

His ears perked up at that. "Happy hour?"

She laughed. "Yep. Open bar for two full hours."

"Sweet!"

They took their bags out of the car and found their room on the fourth floor which, not to House's surprise, had a prime view of Camelback Mountain. Even he had to admit the view was quite something to look at. The red jagged mountains with their highest peak rose above the city in the distance and the bright blue sky against them made it appear even more beautiful. He could appreciate that.

"I take it this wasn't a coincidence," he said to her.

"Not in the slightest," she smiled back at him as she unpacked her bikini and sun lotion. "Come on, get your swim shorts out and let's go down to the pool."

They got changed and then went down to find a couple of lounge chairs with a small table in between.

House watched Gin as she stood at the edge of the pool and then dove into the clean blue water effortlessly with very little splash.

"Nice form," he called out and gave her a thumbs up.

"Years of swimming lessons," she said as she climbed out of the pool and stretched out on the lounge chair. "The water is nice. You should come in."

"I will."

They spent an hour in the pool and then headed to the lounge when happy hour started. House took his beer and a small box of popcorn back to their chairs by the pool. "I could get used to this," he said as he threw a popcorn kernel in the air and caught it in his mouth.

"Me too."

"So what's on the agenda for tomorrow?" he asked.

"House hunting."

"Fun."

"Yeah I'm excited. There are some show homes out in the valley I want to check out first, and then some open houses in Scottsdale."

"What are we doing for dinner?"

"I know a great Mexican place not too far from here," she told him.

"Sounds good."

"It's been a great trip so far," she said as she reached for his hand and gently brushed his knuckles with her thumb. "I'm glad you came with me."

He nodded, unsure of what to say and she picked up on that. "It's true, Greg. Take it however you want to. I don't mean to get all sappy on you, but I think it's good to be honest."

"I know."

"I haven't been serious with a guy in years. Not serious enough to go away for a weekend with him and sure as hell not serious enough to go on a road trip. We only just met a week ago and yet I feel like we've known each other a lot longer." She took a long sip of her cocktail and put it down. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I feel safe with you. And that's not a feeling I've experienced with a man so soon after meeting him."

"Good to know," House said and stood up. "Want a refresher?" he asked.

"Sure."

"What was it?"

"A mojito," she smiled.

"Such a girly drink," he teased as he walked away.

Gin sighed and stretched out on the lounge chair, closing her eyes. It had been a long day and before she knew it, she was dozing off and House was gently nudging her. "Hey, come on, let's go back to the room."

"But dinner…"

"We can order in. I'm too tired to go out and so are you."

"There's a Carl's Jr. across the street," she yawned as she got up and stretched. "We can walk over."

"That'll work."

They walked across to the restaurant, ordered, and brought the food back to the room to eat. As soon as they finished, Gin took a quick shower and collapsed onto the bed wearing nothing but her towel.

When House came into the room, he smiled when he saw her lying face down on the bed, sound asleep.

He went over to her and pulled the covers back. "Come on, Sleeping Beauty," he whispered as he guided her into bed.

"So tired," she mumbled as she pulled the covers up to her neck and rolled away from him.

House chuckled, got undressed down to his boxers and climbed into the other side of the bed. Within minutes, he was also asleep.

* * *

In the morning, House could see the sun peeking through the edges of the blackout curtains. He had no idea what time it was but that was the furthest thing from his mind. At some point in the night, Gin had wrapped herself around him, her arm across his chest and her leg thrown over his.

He glanced down and saw that part of him was very much awake, and he shifted enough that Gin rubbed up against him. When she stirred, he began to softly stroke her hair as he rested his chin on top of her head.

Gregory House was not a cuddler. But then again, he usually didn't wake up with women draped over him. It didn't hurt that she was naked, either. Her skin was incredibly soft. He could feel the lean muscle as he slid his hand over her shoulder and down her arm.

She stirred again and he could feel her rubbing against his morning wood and he let out a soft groan.

Finally, she opened her eyes and smiled at him. "Good morning."

He smiled back at her. "Yes, it is."

Her hand slid over his chest and under the covers to grip his shaft. "Mmm, very good," he groaned.

"Mmmm Greg?"

"Yes?"

Without a word she flipped them over so he was on top of her and he took his cue by holding her hands down.

"Fuck me," she purred.

"You make it sound so cheap and dirty. I like it," he said with a grin as he reached down to tug his boxers off.

"Dirty is fun," she grunted when he got in between her legs and teased her with the head of his cock. "Oh God...Greg...don't tease…"

"But it's so easy," he whispered as he continued rubbing himself against her.

"Yes," she hissed, "that feels so good…"

When House finally gave in and entered her, Gin threw her head back and closed her eyes. "Oh God, Yesssss!"

He started out with long, slow strokes that went deep inside, as far as he could go, and then he pulled all the way out, teasing her entrance.

"So tight," he murmured as he continued that rhythm for a few more minutes.

"And so wet," she added. Her nails raked over his nipples as he moved above her and it was driving him crazy.

House didn't last very long, but he was okay with that. Morning sex for him was usually in the form of a quickie, anyway, and Gin didn't seem to be able to wait much longer.

When they came to their own explosive finishes, they found themselves tangled in a sweaty heap, laughing.

"I don't know about you, but I'm hungry," he said as he got up and headed to the bathroom.

"Then shower and we'll get breakfast. They have an amazing cook downstairs."

"Come join me then, so we can go down together."

"And conserve water," she pointed out as she followed him. "This is a desert, after all. Gotta do our part."

* * *

 _If you're curious, simply type Camelback Mountain in the search field on Google and you'll see for yourself how amazing it is._


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

After nearly a week of house hunting, Gin was very discouraged. The homes she had her eye on were either too expensive or someone had put an offer on them already. They'd spent the day looking at homes near Arizona State University in Tempe but she didn't relish being surrounded by college students.

"I don't know what to think anymore," she groaned as she drove in the direction of their hotel.

"You'll find something," he assured her.

"Yeah but I'm running out of time. My new position starts next week. I can't stay here at this hotel forever."

"Maybe you're looking too hard."

"I've looked everywhere."

"Maybe you should call an agent,then, tell them what you're looking for."

"Maybe," she sighed.

She pulled up to a stoplight and House glanced at the home in the corner. There was a woman on the lawn erecting a FOR SALE sign.

"Well if that's not a sign, I don't know what is," House said as he directed Gin's attention to it.

"Huh?"

"Look."

Gin looked at the house and shrugged. "It doesn't look very big."

"How big does it have to be?"

She had to admit he had a point. Since nobody was around, she did a quick U-turn and pulled into the driveway.

"Excuse me. Who lives here?" Gin asked the realtor as she got out of the car.

The woman smiled at them. "Nobody. The owner had to leave town and is looking to make a quick sale." Then she extended her hand. "I'm Karen Walsh."

"Gin Wolfe."

"And is this your handsome husband, Mr. Wolfe?"

House stifled a laugh and Gin squeezed his arm as a warning. "No."

"Oh, well, come on in."

As soon as they walked through the front door, Gin had an overwhelming feeling that she belonged there. It felt right. It was also huge. From the outside she never would have guessed it was so big.

"How many square feet is this?"

"Just over three thousand," Karen told them.

"This place is incredible," she whispered to House as they went through all the rooms. One in particular got her attention and she paused in the doorway so quickly that House bumped into her.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

"Nothing."

House looked over Gin's head at the room. It looked like a room that belonged to a teenage boy.

"Not going in?"

"No," she said and moved on to the other rooms. The further away from it she got, the better she felt. But she knew she'd have to investigate at some point.

"I guess he's taking all the furniture?"

Karen shrugged. "Why? Do you need furniture?"

"I'll need _some_ , but I love what's here now, especially the master bedroom furniture."

"I'll contact the seller and ask him." And with that, Karen left the room to make the call.

"What do you think?" Gin asked House.

"It doesn't matter what I think. It's going to be your house."

"I know, but do you think it's nice?"

"Yeah. It's very nice. Do you like it?"

"I love it."

"Well, then there's your answer."

"I just don't know if I can afford it."

Karen returned and she was smiling. "The seller has no problem selling the house including the furniture, however everything in the back bedroom will be packed up."

"Why that room?"

"This was his son's room."

Gin swallowed hard. "Was?"

"Yes, it's so sad. It was on the news a few months ago. Poor Marty never came home one night after being at his friend's house. Nobody's heard from him since. Very strange."

"Is that why the owner is moving?" Gin asked.

"I think it has something to do with it, yes. He just wants to sell it quickly."

"How much?"

"Five-forty-nine."

Gin's eyes nearly bulged out of her head. "You're joking."

"I'm afraid not. Of course you can always negotiate…"

"No, the price is fine, I just thought it would be a lot higher. It looks brand new."

"Well, the seller is the original owner. It was just built five years ago, along with other homes in this subdivision."

"Well, that settles that. I'll take it."

Karen smiled. "Come on into the kitchen and we'll sort out the paperwork."

"Sounds good."

An hour later, Gin had signed a ton of paperwork and planned to meet with a banker the next day to finalize everything.

"So how does it feel to be a homeowner?" House asked her as they drove back to the hotel.

"Pretty awesome. Even more awesome is that I won't have to take out a mortgage. I'm planning to pay for the house outright with the money I get from the sale of my dad's condo and invest the rest."

"Smart move. Nobody likes mortgages. I'd do the same if I could. That frees up a lot of extra money."

"Yep."

She pulled into the parking lot of the hotel and they went to the room to change and have a swim before dinner. House noticed a light flashing on the phone indicating that there was a message waiting. "It's probably Wilson. I'll meet you down at the pool."

"Okay."

House sat down on the bed, checked the message and called Wilson back.

"What's the word?"

" _Cuddy wants you to come in for an interview, ASAP."_

"At PPTH?"

" _Yep."_

"To do what?"

" _They're opening a free clinic and…"_

"Okay, stop. No. No way. I don't do that shit. If that's all she wants me for, then forget it."

" _House, you need to work. You have bills. She offered me a position in Oncology, and if I prove myself, she said I might make department head in a few years. It's a hell of an offer."_

"Will you have to do clinic duty?"

" _Apparently it's in the contract that all the doctors put in 10 hours per week. Surely you could handle a couple hours a day."_

"Wiping runny noses and diagnosing crotch rot? I'd rather _get_ crotch rot than endure that hell."

Wilson gave an exasperated sigh. " _Whatever, House. But this offer isn't going to be on the table very long. I suggest you call her at least. What harm could there be in that?"  
_

"Fine, I'll call her. Tomorrow."

" _House!"_ Wilson sighed once again.

"It's almost eight o'clock over there. She won't be at work now anyway."

House could just imagine his friend rubbing the back of his neck in frustration and he grinned. It was so easy to push his buttons sometimes. "Oh, Gin bought a house today."

" _Wow, that was fast."  
_

"Not really. She's been looking for over a week. This one practically fell into her lap. Anyway, I gotta go. Can't keep the lady waiting. I'll call you tomorrow after I talk to Party Pants."

" _Who? What?"_

House hung up and chuckled as he changed into his swim shorts and headed down to the pool. Gin already had a drink for both of them and a small bowl of pretzels.

"Took you long enough."

House shrugged as he sat down in the lounge chair and grabbed a handful of pretzels. "So I was thinking…"

"Uh-oh," she chuckled. "What?"

"I want to take you out tonight. Somewhere nice, to celebrate."

She looked at him, eyes narrowed. "Where?"

"I don't know. There must be some kind of high end fancy-shmancy place in Scottsdale somewhere."

"There's one at the Phoenician Resort."

"Well, if that's the case, why don't we go all out, have a nice dinner and get a suite so we don't have to drive back after?"

Gin's eyes narrowed. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. You must have at least one nice dress to wear to dinner. I have a suit."

"You really want to do this?"

"Yeah. What's the problem?"

"What aren't you telling me?"

He laughed. "What? Haven't you ever had anyone do something nice for you?"

"No, it's not that. It's just I have a feeling that there's more to this than you're letting on."

"Well, stop over-analyzing everything to death. Finish your drink and we'll go get dressed and head out."

She still didn't seem convinced but she nodded and they finished their drinks.

While House was straightening his tie, he paused when Gin stepped out of the bedroom wearing a blue floral sundress and silver strappy sandals. Her hair was up, revealing her long, slim neck and he was overcome with the urge to kiss it.

"I take it from the look on your face you approve?" she giggled nervously as she grabbed her overnight bag.

"You look ravishing," he said as he walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Will you ravish me tonight, House?" she asked with a sexy smile. "Will you ravish me tonight until I can't breathe?"

"I think that can definitely be arranged." He lowered his head to kiss her but she giggled again and stepped back.

"Oh no, you'll mess up my lipstick."

"That's exactly what I had in mind, now c'mere," he grinned as he pulled her back into his arms and kissed her softly.

Gin sighed and slid her hands up his chest to link around his neck. "We could just...stay here…"

"We could, but this will be more fun. Come on. I'm driving."


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: Nice to see some of you are still with me, and there are some new faces, so hi :) I realized I forgot to leave the link where you can look up Gin's Scottsdale home. You can get a virtual tour of it on You tube if you type in this address:** 34117 N 59th Way, Scottsdale, AZ 85266 _

**Chapter Nine**

The valet opened the passenger door and offered his hand to help Gin out of the car while House got out and tipped the guy. "Take extra special care of this car."

"Yes sir."

They left their bags with the car and went inside to check in. "We have a reservation," House told the clerk. "Dr. House."

"Of course. We have you in our one bedroom suite overlooking Camelback mountain."

Gin looked surprised and House was secretly delighted. "When did you…"

"While you were making yourself beautiful, I was making some calls," he told her.

"Your reservations for dinner at seven are also booked. Would you like turn-down service, Dr. House?"

"Sure, that would be great."

"Excellent. I'll see to it, and your bags are being sent up as we speak. Here are your key cards. Have a lovely evening."

House glanced at his watch. "It's almost seven now. Hungry?"

"Starving."

"Let's go then."

Once they were seated and the wine delivered to their table, Gin gave House a dazzling smile. "This is really nice. It's been a long time since anyone's taken me out. I mean _really_ taken me out, like this."

"A celebration was in order. I don't do this kind of thing very often."

"I know."

"I know you know, which is kind of scary how you know."

She shrugged. "I'm good at reading people."

"Among other things," he said, giving her a wicked grin of his own.

She reached for his hand and gently brushed her thumb over his knuckles. "So what did Wilson have to say?"

"Oh, this and that. Wants me to come back to Princeton ASAP to meet with someone at the teaching hospital there but I don't think it's a good fit."

"Why not?"

He shrugged. "It sounds like I'd have to work in their clinic. I don't need that shit. I'm above all that. I've done my time and I want more."

"What exactly is it you want?"

"I want my own Diagnostics department with a team of doctors to help me solve the hard cases."

"That doesn't seem unreasonable. What's the problem?"

"There isn't such a thing in place, anywhere."

"Then it should be easy to start one."

"Not really. That takes money and I'd have to prove myself worthy of having my own department. That, and I haven't been able to stay at any location long enough to do so without butting heads with somebody."

"So stop butting heads," Gin chuckled.

"Easier said than done. The majority of administrators are idiots who don't know the difference between an MRI and an EKG."

"So educate them."

"Yeah right."

Gin shook her head. "Well, you should still call them at least. Find out what it is they want and make the decision for yourself if it's worth going out there. But you know, if you decide to stay here, I have that big house with that big bed," she said with another dazzling smile as she picked up her wineglass and took a sip.

House cocked his head to one side. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"And if I were?"

"Then is there really any point in going to Jersey?"

"I don't know. You should really call and find out what's what before you make any decisions."

"I will. I just don't want to talk to Lisa Cuddy."

"Why not?" Then Gin smirked. "One night stand?."

House removed his hand from hers. "It's creepy how you know that."

Gin laughed. "I was right?"

"You think you're pretty clever don't you, Wolfe? Go on, tell me more."

"I don't need to. It's written all over your face. You slept with her one time and never saw her again. Why not? Wasn't it any good?"

"It was hot, actually. And if you must know, I did plan to call her the next day but I got kicked out of school and had to leave so that kinda put a damper on things."

"I can imagine."

Their dinners arrived and they dug in. House admired Gin's choice of the sixteen ounce ribeye steak. "It's nice to see a woman not afraid to tackle a big steak."

"I don't mess around. I dated this guy once, his mother was a real piece of work. We went for dinner at this Greek restaurant and they had a regular and a large order of the souvlaki. So I wondered aloud what the difference was in size between the two and she said "well, the regular is a decent size, for a lady," so I slapped my menu closed and said, "large it is."

"Good girl."

"Yep, and I cleared my plate, too. She was shocked because I never cleared my plate when I ate at her place. Of course, she was British…"

House laughed. "Imagine her thinking a lady couldn't and shouldn't polish off a large chicken skewer."

"I know! It's stupid, but then so was she."

They finished eating and then stayed to finish their wine. "When you go to Jersey you should see someone about your leg," she said between sips.

"Damn, I thought you'd forgotten about that."

"No such luck, pal. And besides, it could be nothing or it could be something. Wouldn't you rather nip it in the bud?"

He knew she was right. _Damn her_. "Yeah. Fine."

"And if you decide to stay out there, no hard feelings."

House nodded. He liked her for that. She didn't expect any commitment. "It's nice to know I have someone to come back to if it doesn't work out."

Gin smiled and stroked his hand again. "Always. My door will always be open for you, and Wilson."

"You're not his type."

She laughed. "I meant that if he was ever out this way and needed a place to stay, I have plenty of room."

"Speaking of rooms, I'm thinking I want you in that bed, handcuffed to the steel post."

Gin's eyes widened in shock and her voice took on an embarrassed whisper. "Greg! I don't have the keys yet."

He took out his wallet and held up a credit card. "Who needs keys?"

"We can't…"

"It's your house."

"There's an alarm…"

"Karen didn't set it before we left."

"You're crazy."

"And you're wet right now, aren't you?" he whispered as their server took the card to process it.

Gin shuddered. "Like you wouldn't believe."

House signed the slip and gestured for her to get up. "Then let's go."

* * *

He drove them to the house and parked around the corner. Gin grabbed something out of the trunk while he worked on the front door with his credit card. "I feel like a burglar," she giggled as he managed to unlock the door and pull her inside.

"Shhh…" he whispered as they made their way through the dark house toward the master bedroom.

"Don't turn any lights on," she said. "We don't need neighbors wondering what's going on."

"Good point," he whispered as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her, bumping against the door frame once before finding the bed. "Still wanna be tied up?" he asked her as he loosened and took off his tie.

"Let's hold off on that for now. I just want you to fuck me on this huge bed," she said as she began unbuckling his belt.

House growled as he devoured her neck and started unbuttoning her dress. His hands and mouth seemed to be everywhere at once, nipping hungrily at her.

Gin had done a decent job of unbuttoning his shirt and unzipping his pants but when he had her fully undressed, he grabbed her ass and they toppled over against the pillows with him on top of her. He kicked his pants and shorts off and they held each other close. It felt so amazing their groans and sighs filled the silence of the room.

"Mmm Greg…" she sighed as she stretched like a cat underneath him. "You feel so good."

"So do you," he murmured against her lips. "I love touching you...tasting you...touching you."

"Yes!" she cried out when his hot mouth fastened onto one of her nipples and he rolled it around on his tongue. "Oh God!" She grabbed her other breast and squeezed the nipple as he watched her, becoming increasingly turned on. He always loved to see a woman enjoy and touch herself while being pleasured.

He continued placing kisses across her stomach as she arched her back to give him complete access to her body. "Take me, Greg...Just...oh!" she gasped when he surprised her by entering her hard and fast without warning.

"You did ask," he chuckled as she wrapped her legs around his waist and scratched her nails down his back.

His lips found hers once again but his eyes remained open so he could look deep into hers. "Gin," he whispered.

Her eyes fluttered open and she looked back at him with such desire and adoration that it was his undoing and he lost himself in her as his mind whirled with questions.

 _Did he really want to go back to Jersey and work with Wilson and possibly Lisa Cuddy again? Just for the sake of working? He liked Arizona, and he liked Gin. A lot. But would anyone hire him?_

"Hello over there," Gin whispered in the dark as she gave him a slight nudge. "You okay?"

"Yeah, better than okay."

"You're awful quiet," she commented.

"Just thinking."

"About?"

"This and that."

"Care to share?"

"Nah, it's nothing. Let's get out of here," House said as he got up and started gathering his clothes.

Gin got up and did the same. As she was making her way down the dark hallway, she was pulled back in the direction of the bedroom which belonged to the former owner's son. She stood in the doorway, not wanting to go inside, but the pull was almost magnetic.

"What's up?" House asked her as he came up behind Gin.

"I don't know. I have this...weird feeling."

House glanced into the room. "This room? Looks like a typical kids room to me."

"Yeah but something the realtor said today got me thinking."

She stepped into the room and her head started spinning so fast she had to sit down. House grabbed her arm and led her to the bed, helping her. "Whoa...are you okay?"

She closed her eyes and placed her hand on her head. "I...I don't know. I feel…"

Words and sounds filled her head in bits and pieces. It was like a dream sequence that made no sense.

"Take deep breaths. I'll go get you some water."

House found a glass in the kitchen cabinet and filled it with tap water. When he returned she was standing by the desk touching things.

"Now what are you doing?"

"Just trying to make sense of everything."

House thought about it for a minute and then everything started clicking into place like the final piece of the puzzle. "You're a psychic, aren't you?"

She turned to him and nodded. "Not really. Or at least, that's not what I call it."

"What would you call it?"

"Well, I can't predict the future so much as feel things with what I touch."

"Is that what happened when I first met you? When you sat on your father's bed?"

She nodded. "Exactly. It's psychometry. Touching personal items and pictures belonging to the victims are the only way I can do it."

"What do you need?"

She looked around. "Metal objects work best. Rings, necklaces, anything like that. But it feels wrong to go through his things."

"Can you feel if he's alive?"

Gin closed her eyes as she touched a photo on his desk. "Yes, I feel he's alive and very much afraid."

"Well that's better than death." House went rummaging through the kid's things some more and came up with an earring. "Will this work?"

Gin's eyes widened and she was about to say something when she heard a car pull up outside. "Oh shit."

House discretely poked his fingers in the blinds and peeked out. "It's the fuzz."

"What do we do?" Gin asked as she started to panic.

"There's a back door. Follow me. You can hop fences can't you?"

"Yeah but…"

"Good. Let's go."

She followed him through the dark house and to the backyard. Thankfully the fence was low and they quickly hopped over it. She went first and then House followed but he stopped when he felt a twinge in his thigh. He rubbed it as he followed her to the car and they headed back to the Phoenician.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Another short chapter. I've pretty much finished this story so now I'm revising it a bit. Thanks as always to Hughville for helping me with this :) Any mistakes are my own.**

 **Chapter Ten **

"Oh my God, that was actually fun," she laughed as they drove back to the hotel.

"A little close for comfort but really, if they caught us, what's the worst that could happen? You signed the paperwork so it's technically your house. If they looked it up or called Karen she'd verify it."

"I know, it just would've been embarrassing. The neighbors would be all "like, oh-my-god, it's our new neighbor and she's totally getting arrested. We should shun her so she'll leave. We can't like, have people like _that_ living in this neighborhood."

House laughed at her Valley girl-type accent. "Okay I think you're overthinking things way too much."

"Probably. Anyway, I'll call Karen in the morning and see if I can get the seller's number from her. I can't just sit back and wait."

"They'll find him."

"Not if we find him first," she said as she glanced over at him. Her face was serious.

"What do you mean _we_? You got a mouse in your pocket over there? You going to look for him now?"

"Got a better idea? He may be alive now, but for how long?"

"You should just call the cops," House told her.

"Right. They haven't found him yet, what good are they going to be? Not to mention, they're going to want to know how I know all that about him and will probably think I was behind it somehow."

"That's a load of crap, Gin. When the kid is found alive they're not going to give a shit how you found him, just that you did."

She glanced over at him and saw that he was rubbing his thigh as he talked. "Your leg okay?"

"Yeah, I think I just landed wrong when I hopped the fence. Twisted my knee a bit."

"You're not massaging your knee though," she pointed out. "You've been massaging your thigh since we got in the car. Tomorrow I want you to go get it looked at."

He groaned but the look on her face told him she wasn't messing around. "I'll make the appointment and drag you there myself if I have to but you're going."

"Yes, Mother," he said with a groan and a roll of his eyes.

"I'm not your mother."

"You got that right."

"And don't roll your eyes at me, either, Gregory."

He laughed. "Ohh, now I know I'm in trouble. You're certainly acting like my mother, calling me Gregory, and all that."

"Would your mother do this?" she asked as she leaned over and began rubbing him through his pants.

"Jesus, Gin. Do you ever stop being horny?"

"Do you?"

He gave her a wicked smirk. "Touche."

Gin tossed and turned. Unable to get the visions and feelings of the boy out of her head. After realizing that sleep wasn't going to come, she got up and went into the other room to examine the items she brought back from the house with her.

She closed her eyes and touched the boy's picture with one hand, and the golden earring with the other. The images and sounds that came to her mind were instant. She saw a building, pipes, what looked like a basement, and a cot with someone lying on it. She knew it was the boy, however she didn't know what the building was or where it would be.

He was still alive, and she was damn well going to make sure he stayed that way. Reaching for the phone, she called the local police.

" _Maricopa County Sheriff's office."_

"Hi, I have some information about a missing teen."

* * *

Two days later, while Gin slept House watched TV while eating his breakfast.

"We have some breaking news. Missing local boy Marty Balfour has been found alive and is now with his family," the news anchor announced.

House's eyes went wide as he watched the live coverage of the boy, the same boy in the picture Gin took from the house, being reunited with his parents.

"Gin! Get in here!"

"It's eight A.M!" she called out from the bedroom.

"You're gonna want to see this!"

She groaned as she climbed out of bed and trudged into the living area. "What?"

"Look," he said, pointing to the TV.

She turned to the TV and watched with wide eyes. "Wow. I can't believe it."

"You called the police, didn't you?"

She sighed and sat down. "I had to. It was driving me crazy not doing anything. I gave them as much info as I could. Turns out they're not a bunch of idiots after all. They had nothing, and I gave them something. Apparently it was enough for them to go on and find him. So I'm glad."

"I'm glad too," he nodded as he looked at her. She seemed happy and at peace. She also looked amazingly tempting in her flimsy tank top and shorts.

She glanced at him and then smiled, somewhat impishly, at him. "Care to come back to bed with me, Dr. House?"

"Aren't you hungry? Breakfast will be over soon."

"I have another kind of morning sausage in mind," she said and then walked toward the bedroom, giving him a sultry smile over her shoulder.

House took his cereal bowl and spoon and dumped it in the sink as he followed her.

* * *

House's cell phone rang early the next morning and he answered it before it could wake up Gin. She'd be getting up soon for work and he wanted to let her sleep.

"House," he whispered as he quietly left the room.

" _It's me,"_ Wilson said. " _Why are you whispering?"_

"It's six o'clock in the morning, you idiot."

" _Oh, yeah. Sorry."_

"Yeah, yeah, what do you want?"

" _You need to come back. Cuddy and the director of the Board want to talk to you."_

"I told you, I have no interest in working in their clinic."

" _Maybe not but if you made it as a department head you wouldn't have to."_

Wilson let that sink in and the silence told him that House was contemplating his words. "Fine. I'll come back. But if I don't like what they're offering, I'm getting back on the plane and going back to Phoenix."

" _Fine."_

"Fine."

House ended the call and climbed back into bed with Gin, who was slowly beginning to stir.

"Who was that?" she asked sleepily.

"Wilson. I have to go."

She opened her eyes. "Back to Princeton?"

"Yeah. Wilson said there was an offer on the table so I might as well go and check it out."

"Yes you should," she said as she sat up.

House frowned. "Just like that, huh? You don't want me to stay?"

Gin rolled her eyes. "Of course I want you to stay, but your home is in Princeton. You should at least hear them out. And if it's not what you want, then come back." She leaned over and softly kissed him. "You've always got a home here."

"Good to know," he whispered against her lips and lowered her back against the pillows.

"Greg...not now," she sighed as she placed her hands on his chest to fight him off, but her attempt was weak at best. "I have to get ready for work."

"You have some time. And I might be gone when you get home tonight."

"Mhm, so you want a send-off?"

"That's the plan, yeah."

"I think I can accommodate you."

* * *

"Ahh, Agent Wolfe. You finally decided to grace us with your presence this morning."

Gin turned around to face her supervisor, Agent David Jones. He was a few years older than she was, and the same height, but with a stocky build and a baby face.

"My shift starts in ten minutes, sir."

"Yes I know, so since you're here you can start now. It's been a very busy morning. I would've thought, given your special talents, you'd know this."

Gin cocked her head to one side. "What special talents would those be, sir?"

"Don't be coy with me, agent Wolfe. Your former supervisor tells me you have something of a sixth sense about people. And I heard that you found that missing boy."

"I didn't find him, the police did. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to take care of something before my shift starts in _ten minutes_."

She brushed past him and shuddered when she got to the locker room. He was nice enough, but he was a keener, new to his position and he wanted everything done his way, even if it wasn't convenient or necessary.

After a long shift, she came back to an empty hotel room and sighed. House had clearly left, however there was a note on the table with a flower he'd clearly picked from outside.

 _Gin,_

 _I'll call you when I get in. Good luck with the move into the new place and behave yourself._

 _Greg_

She read the letter again in his somewhat legible writing and placed it on the table beside the bed. The hotel room seemed quiet. Too quiet. She had gotten used to House watching TV in the other room late at night. Now there was only silence, save for the low hum of the air conditioning unit. She stretched out and hugged his pillow to her as she slowly drifted off to sleep, thinking about all the things she had to do.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

Wilson was waiting for House in the terminal when his plane arrived, and for a moment, he almost didn't recognize his friend. Along with the deep tan, the slight limp threw him off.

"Hey," House said as he slung his bag over his shoulder.

"Hey, you look good. What happened to your leg?"

"I don't know yet. When we get to PPTH I want to get an MRI. Gin's orders," he said with a smirk.

"Well, we can't cross Gin," Wilson chuckled as they headed out to the car. "You do look good though. That desert sun agreed with you."

"Yeah it's pretty nice down there. Her new house is amazing."

Wilson could see the look of longing on his friend's face. "You want to stay with her, don't you?"

"If it doesn't workout with PPTH, then yeah, I'll be going back to Phoenix. I've already sent feelers out to the various hospitals there so maybe something will come up."

"I think you'll be pleased with their offer. Cuddy mentioned something about the Nephrology department needing people."

"I'm not as interested in that as I am Infectious Diseases. I'm board certified in that as well, which is why I want to start a Diagnostics department."

"I don't know how open they are to that, since nobody else has one," Wilson pointed out.

"That's why I'll be the first. Now let's go home. I assume my apartment is still in one piece."

"Yeah it's fine. I was just there a week ago to get your mail."

"Great. Thanks." House glanced at his watch. "It's already past midnight. What time do I have to meet with Cuddy and the Director guy tomorrow?"

"Ten, in her office. So don't be late, and wear a suit. This might be the only interview you get for a long time. Don't fuck it up."

"Thank you for the vote of confidence," House said, dryly as they pulled up to his apartment and he grabbed his suitcase from the trunk. "See you tomorrow."

"G'night, House."

* * *

House arrived at PPTH and headed to the front desk. "I'm here to see Dr. Cuddy."

The woman smiled favorably at him. "Do you have an appointment, Mr…."

"Doctor, and yes. I'm Dr. House."

"Oh, of course. Go right through those doors, past the clinic."

House followed the instructions and found the office. Lisa Cuddy was there, sitting behind her desk while the Director of the board sat opposite her. He stood when House entered and extended his hand.

"Dr. House, I presume? I'm Dr. Michaels. Please, have a seat."

House glanced over at Cuddy and took in her appearance. She still looked the same from the last time he saw her. Her long dark hair was straight and hung down her back in a neat ponytail and she was dressed in a cleavage revealing blouse, tight pencil skirt and heels. It was quite a package, and one he might've considered, but it only served to remind him of how much he missed Gin. He made a mental note to call her later.

"Let's get down to brass tacks," House said, cutting Michaels off before he could say anything else. "Wilson told me you needed a Nephrologist, and that's all fine and good, but it's not what I do. I'm board certified in Infectious Diseases and my goal is to have my own Diagnostics department with my own team, to take the cases I deem interesting enough to solve. If you can give me that, then we'll talk. If not, I have other places that will entertain my ideas."

"Dr. Wilson also warned us of your bedside manner, or lack, thereof," Michaels said.

"I don't need a bedside manner to treat patients. I just need to save their lives. Which is more important?"

"And if they don't want to come to you because of your reputation?"

"They'll come. Because they'll be all out of options and I'm their last hope."

"He's right, Dr. Michaels," Cuddy said.

"Yes, well, we'll have to look into that later. We need a Nephrologist badly and you have the best credentials. The job is yours if you want it," Michaels said as he handed a contract to House. "Feel free to read over it. We can negotiate the terms if needed but I think you'll find the offer fair."

House looked over the contract and slapped it down on Cuddy's desk. "I told Dr. Wilson when he called me about this interview that I won't do clinic hours. Nice try, Cuddy," he said and started to get up, as did Michaels.

"I'm sorry, we were under the impression that you'd accept the terms. All doctors are required to do ten clinic hours a week. Surely two hours a day isn't asking too much."

"Yes, it is. I've done my time in a clinic. Thanks but no thanks." House rubbed his thigh as he stood and Cuddy frowned.

"What's wrong with your leg?" she asked as she stepped closer.

"I don't know. I need to get an MRI."

Michaels nodded. "I think that's a good idea. Dr. Cuddy will admit you and I'll see to it personally. My specialty is internal medicine. I'll leave you in her capable hands for now and I'll see you when you come for the MRI."

Two hours later, House was admitted and in his own room. "Wow, they're certainly pulling out all the stops," Wilson said when he came in to visit in between patients.

"Yeah but I'm sure there's a catch somewhere. Didn't you tell them I wouldn't do clinic duty?"

"I did but they brushed it off, assuming their offer would be too good to refuse."

"It is a generous offer but I still won't do clinic duty. Interns should be doing that shit. It's how they learn."

"You need to work, House. Your apartment isn't going to pay for itself."

"Maybe I'm waiting for something else to come along. I applied at some of the hospitals in Phoenix, you know."

Wilson looked surprised. "You did?"

"Of course I did. It's amazing down there, and the weather is a definite plus. I've been thinking about getting a motorcycle. I could ride that year round as opposed to here."

"You've really thought this through."

"You honestly think I'd come out here without having a back-up plan?" House asked.

"Have you heard from any of those hospitals yet?"

"No, but then it's only been a few days."

"And if nothing comes of it?"

"I'll figure it out later." House reached for his cell phone and flipped it open. "I gotta call Gin. I didn't have a chance last night."

When he only got voicemail, he didn't bother leaving a message. She'd see that he called and would call him back when she had time.

* * *

"Where are you traveling from?" Gin asked the man and the young woman with him.

"India," the man said. He had a slight accent and hard, dark eyes.

"And you live in the US?"

"Yes."

"And where are you going?"

"Nevada."

"For how long?"

"Three weeks," he growled, his annoyance becoming apparent.

Gin glanced up at the older man and the girl, who didn't say a peep. She just stood there staring at the floor, her long black hair partially covering her face. She looked like a teenager, and in Gin's opinion, probably was.

"What's your name?" Gin asked her.

"Her name is Lila."

"I was asking _her_ ," Gin told the man. "She can speak for herself."

"She doesn't speak English."

Gin wasn't buying that for a second. "Right. May I please see your passports?"

"We don't have them."

"Okay, well what I.D. do you have? Birth certificate? Driver's license?"

"No. And why are you asking for _our_ passports? You didn't ask the couple ahead of us in line."

"That's not your concern. I'm asking to see _your_ Identification. Do either of you have anything?"

"No," the man snapped.

"Then I'm sorry, you'll have to wait over there for my supervisor."

"This is ridiculous!" he shouted causing everyone to look over at them. Beside him the girl seemed to shrink further into herself.

"What's ridiculous is the two of you traveling from India without any I.D. How do you plan on getting home after this without a driver's license?" she demanded.

She knew she had him when he sputtered about someone coming to pick them up. Something was definitely going on with him and that young girl. There was no way Lila was related to him and Gin didn't want to jump to conclusions but she had a sick feeling in her stomach. She didn't want to, but she had to call Jones.

"What's the problem?" he inquired when he showed up.

"Neither of them have any I.D."

"So? We don't ask everyone," he shrugged.

"True, but I…"

"Right so unless you have a valid reason for asking, they're free to go."

Gin was pissed and made no attempt to hide it.. "Gee, thanks for having my back, _sir_. Don't you think a middle-aged man traveling with a young girl who's not his daughter is odd?"

"How do you know she's not his daughter?"

"Look at her!" Gin hissed as she pointed in their direction where they sat on the bench. The man was still furious as he glared back at her and the girl still sat there with her head down.

"Why them?" David asked.

"I'm sorry?"

"I mean, why did you single them out?"

"I'm not a novice, sir. I've been an agent for a long time and I know a strange situation when I see one. I just want to make sure there's nothing funny going on and if not, I'll send them on their merry way. You've heard I possess _special talents_ so let me use them."

David looked at her like he was considering it, and Gin stared right back, unwavering in her stance. He realized that this was one battle not worth fighting.

"I'll take the man. You take the girl and see what's going on."

"Thank you."

Gin and David approached and the man stood. "Can we go now?"

"Not just yet. I'd like to talk to her for just a minute. This is Agent David Jones, my Supervisor, and he'll be talking to you."

The stern, warning look the man gave the girl, as if to remind her she'd best not say anything if she knew what was good for her, made Gin shudder. The negative, violent vibes coming off him were overwhelming, as opposed to the helpless and defeated ones coming from the young girl.

Lila followed Gin into one of their interview rooms and took a seat. "I'm Agent Wolfe," Gin began as she slid her business card across the table. "There's no need to be afraid. I just want to ask you a couple of routine questions, okay?"

Lila nodded but kept looking down. Gin knew she had her work cut out for her but she'd dealt with people like her before and she knew the routine.

"What's your name?"

"Lila," she answered softly.

"Lila what?"

"Jennings."

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"And who's that man with you? Is he your father?"

She shook her head but refused to look up and Gin's stomach sank. "Is he your husband?"

Lila hesitated and then slumped further down in her chair. "Not yet."

"Is that why you're going to Nevada? To make it legal?" Gin asked gently.

Lila nodded.

"Where did you meet him?"

"India."

"So your name is Lila Jennings, like on your birth certificate?"

"Yes."

Finally feeling like she was getting somewhere, Gin smiled. "Okay, here's what we're going to do…"

Just then, the door opened and David stood there. "You're free to go, Miss."

"What? Wait, no," Gin said as she quickly got up. "I'm not done here."

"Yes you are. I've spoken to Mr. Sahota and his family and they check out okay."

Gin ushered David aside and spoke quietly. "Did you know that she's supposed to be his _wife_? I'll bet her family doesn't even know where she is. We need to look into this."

"They haven't broken any laws. So unless you've got some kind of concrete evidence, we have to let them go."

"Even if it kills her? Look at her. She's fair skinned, yet her hair has clearly been dyed black. This is all wrong, and you know it."

David gave her a look. "Don't get all melodramatic on me, Wolfe."

"I'm not, sir, I'm being realistic." Then she threw her hands up in defeat. "You know what? Whatever. _You're_ the boss. _You_ tell her that she's free to go. I'm done here."

"You're being insubordinate."

"And you're clearly going to do what you want and you don't care about my opinion or the girl's welfare so what does it matter?"

Jones watched her storm back to her station and how she went back to business as usual. He actually admired her spunk, even if it might have put her job at risk.

* * *

"Well this job is going to be short lived," Gin chuckled when House called her that night.

" _Why? What happened?"  
_

"Suspicion of abuse and/or abduction of a teenage girl. Jones let them go but I have a bad feeling and told him that. He told me I was being insubordinate, then called me to his office and suspended me for three days."

" _A little harsh for a first offense isn't it?"_ he asked _.  
_

"He's asserting his dominance. I think it pissed him off that I wasn't upset. I merely shrugged. He was probably wanting and expecting me to beg and plead but I wasn't giving him the satisfaction."

" _No other airports you could transfer to?"_

"The next major one is in Tucson but I'm not going up there," she told him.

" _So what are you going to do?"  
_

"I don't know but I have a few days to come up with something. What about you? How's it going over there?"

" _I had my MRI and Michaels, that's the head of the board, and my doctor for now, says it looks like a clot so they're going to have to go and remove it. I'm scheduled for surgery in the morning,"_ he said.

"That's great. I wish I could come out there but I need to start putting feelers out for another job, I think."

" _Come out here. I'm sure there's an opening somewhere."  
_

"I love this house too much, Greg."

" _Yeah, I see your point. Once I'm good to go, I'll try to make it out there to visit."  
_

"Aww do you miss me?" she teased lightly.

" _Actually, yes."_

"That's so sweet," she said, and inside she was ecstatic. It must've taken him a lot to say that. He wasn't one to voice his feelings.

" _Yeah well, I'm a sweet guy,"_ he chuckled, but she could hear the sarcastic tone.

"You have your moments."

" _I guess. Anyway, I have to get going. I'll call you when I'm out of surgery."  
_

"Okay. I'll be here. Good luck."

" _Thanks. I'm gonna need it."_


	12. Chapter 12

_**A/N: Only a few more chapters. I'll be posting the rest shortly. In November I'll be doing NaNoWriMo but I do have a little one-shot I'm working on in the meantime, so stay tuned for that. Thanks for reading!  
**_

 **Chapter Twelve**

Later that night, the phone rang. Half asleep, Gin reached over and grabbed it. "Wolfe."

 _"Is this Virginia Wolfe?"_

"Yes, this is she."

 _"This is White Cranes Medical center. We have a young lady here who was brought in and she had your business card…"_

Gin sat straight up in bed. "Is it Lila Jennings?"

 _"Jennings? No, I don't know. She wouldn't give a last name. The police are with her but they're looking to speak to you."_

"I'll be there in twenty."

 _"Thank you. She's in the ER right now but she might be moved to another department so come to the main lobby and they'll direct you."_

Gin ended the call and went to the bathroom to splash cold water on her face.

 _What a fucking nightmare_ , she thought as she glanced at her watch and saw that it was past midnight. Sighing, she got dressed and headed to the hospital in record time.

She flashed her ID when she approached the front desk. "I'm Agent Wolfe from the TSA and I'm here to see whoever's in charge."

The receptionist pointed to the doors to the ER. "Right through there. They're waiting for you. Oh, and be prepared, it's a Gong show in there since the police showed up. The husband..or father...or whoever he is, is raising hell because they won't let him take her home."

"Oh, goody," she said and paged Jones. She wanted him to see what happened first hand. She then went through the doors to what could best be described as bedlam.

There were two officers holding Sahota down on the floor while he flailed and cursed at everyone.

"Are you Agent Wolfe?" asked one of the officers, a tall, dark and handsome young man who was too good looking to be a cop.

"Yes. What's going on?"

The officer led her to a corner where they could talk. "I'm Lt. Marino. The girl was brought in just a couple of hours ago. A neighbor called the police because they heard her screaming. When we showed up, nothing seemed out of order. Sahota answered the door but she was nowhere in sight. So we left but I didn't feel right so we cruised around the block and came back to find him literally beating the hell out of her. We dispatched the EMT and they came to take her away and then he showed up here but the doctor wouldn't release her. He insists he'll take care of her where she'll be more comfortable,hasn't left her side and has done all the talking for her. Something's going on and we thought you might be able to shed some light on the subject."

"Something is definitely going on but my supervisor wouldn't let me pursue it so...here we are."

Marino looked shocked. "Wait, let me see if I've got this straight," he said as he pulled out his notepad and started scribbling something. "You suspected something was wrong so you brought it to the attention of your supervisor..."

Gin interjected. "Yeah I had to call him when I detained them at the airport for not having ID. As stupid as it is, the man was making a scene so I told him he'd have to talk to my supervisor."

"Who doesn't have ID when they travel?" Marino asked in surprise.

"Him, for one," Gin said as she gestured to Sahota. "So he became irate, I took the girl into interview, Jones, my supervisor, took Sahota and just as I thought I was making progress, he came and told me they were free to go."

"Even when you insisted otherwise?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"Well, I'll be having a few words with him, by God."

"Where's Lila now?" Gin asked.

"In surgery. She's got a fractured collarbone and a couple of cracked ribs, as well as a broken arm and several lacerations to the face. Son of a bitch," Marino growled.

"Has anyone contacted her parents?"

"It took some doing to get her to talk but eventually she did once we got rid of Sahota and assured her that she'd never have to see him again. He's a taxi driver and she said he took her to his place instead of her destination and she's pretty much been a prisoner in his home since. His family all claim there's nothing sinister and that she agreed to come back to the house with him and that they're getting married in Vegas. Frankly, it's so messed up I can't get my head around it. Her parents are on their way now."

"Well that's one bit of good news."

David Jones burst through the doors of the ER, and when he spotted Gin, he made a beeline for her but Marino stepped in between them.

"Sir, this is a police investigation."

Jones flashed his TSA badge. "Someone paged me."

Gin stepped around Marino. "I did."

"Why? Are you aware that it's the middle of the night?"

"And are you aware that Lila Jennings is in surgery because you let her go home with Sahota?"

Realization dawned on Jones and he looked deflated. "What happened?"

"He beat the living crap out of her."

"Everything seemed on the up and up…"

"A teenage girl marrying an older man seemed okay to you?" Marino interjected. "What the hell is wrong with you? Are you so up on your high horse than you can't listen to your officers when they come to you with their suspicions? Or were you just trying to save face?"

"I didn't think…"

"No, you didn't. You better hope that her family doesn't press charges but I'm going to encourage them to do so. God only knows what would've happened if we didn't go back to the house a second time."

Marino stepped away and went to talk to another officer while Gin got herself a coffee from the machine.

Jones sighed and followed her. "I owe you an apology, Wolfe."

"Yeah, you do, but I don't want it. I'm done."

Jones blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that I can't work for a man who won't listen to his officers. She could've gotten killed. Her parents have been tearing their hair out trying to find her and you didn't even give me the chance to look her up in the missing children database or bother to do it yourself." She took a long sip of the incredibly strong coffee and made a face. "You'll have my resignation on your desk Monday morning."

The ER doors burst open and a middle-aged couple came in. "We're looking for our daughter, Lila," the lady said.

"Are you her parents?" Jones inquired, immediately taking over.

"Yes."

Marino overheard and made his way over. "I'm Lt. Marino. Come with me please," he asked them and glared at Jones. "This is a police matter now. You can go."

"Then why the hell did you page me?" he demanded of Gin.

"Because I wanted you to see what you did, first-hand." Then she smiled. "It wouldn't be as fun for me if you didn't. And maybe now you've learned a lesson not to dismiss the gut feelings of your officers."

"You're a bitch."

Gin shrugged. "Is that supposed to offend me? Because it didn't. Try harder."

"Agent Wolfe," Marino called to her, "would you join us, please?"

"Of course." Gin looked at Jones. "Are you still here? Run along, now."

"This is far from over, Wolfe," Jones hissed at her before turning on his heel and walking away.

"Was that a threat?" Marino growled.

Gin cocked her head to one side as she considered it. "Sounded like one, didn't it?"

"It sure did. Watch your back."

"I will be."

A few hours later, Gin returned home and collapsed back into bed. She was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow and didn't wake up again until the phone rang. With her head still under the covers, she reached out and grabbed her cell.

"'Lo?" she said sleepily.

 _"Are you still sleeping? It's past ten, your time."_

"Huh?"

 _"Musta had a good time last night."_

"Greg?" she asked pushing the covers off and sitting up.

There was laughter on the other end. _"Yeah it's me. Were you expecting your buddy Jones to call you?"_

"God, no. I wouldn't even answer if I thought it was him. Besides, I think he's gotten himself in some hot water."

 _"Oh? Do tell."_

Gin told him the events with Lila Jennings and House laughed at the end. _"Someone's gonna get it," he sing-songed.  
_

"Yep. So when can you come out here?"

 _"I can't travel yet. You could always come out here…and play nurse."_

She could almost see his naughty smile and it sent warm tingles straight to her core.

"I think I could arrange that."

 _"Yeah?"_

"Yeah. Let me see what I can work out. I'll call you back in a bit."

After she made a few calls, she called House back. "I managed to snap up a flight tomorrow morning."

 _"Eager, are we?"_

"Maybe. And maybe I just miss you."

 _"Well when you get here you can show me how much."_

"I will."

"I gotta go. Call Wilson when you get in. He'll come get you. Don't forget the cuffs."

The line went dead and Gin chuckled as she put the phone aside and went back to bed.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Huh, anyone alive out there? LOL. Oh well, Imma keep posting. Only 2 more chapters to go. Enjoy.**

 **Chapter Thirteen**

Gin was led into House's hospital room while he was sleeping. Or, it looked like he was. His eyes opened when she came into the room and he grinned at her. "Looking good, Agent Wolfe," he said. "Or is that _ex_ -Agent Wolfe?"

"It's still undecided. Before I left, the boss said she heard what happened and wants to see me on Tuesday so I'll hear her out."

"What about Jones?" House asked.

"She didn't say and I didn't ask because I don't really care."

"Well I'm glad you're here. They said I'm allowed to go home today. I'm just waiting for the discharge papers to be drawn up."

They heard the clicking sound of high heels and House sighed. "Speak of the she-devil."

Gin watched a very curvy brunette enter the room and hand the papers to House. "You're good to go, House. And please, consider the offer."

"Uh-huh."

It was then that she suddenly noticed Gin. "And who's this?"

House quickly made the introductions. "Gin Wolfe, Lisa Cuddy."

"Oh, so you're the elusive Gin.I was starting to think you were just a figment of House's very vivid imagination," Cuddy said with a phony laugh and a quick glance at House.

Gin gave Cuddy a pleasant smile but it didn't reach her eyes. "No, I'm very real."

Cuddy returned the smile and offered her hand, which Gin took. "Lisa Cuddy, Dean of Medicine."

Gin tried to block out the feelings and visions that invaded her mind the second she shook _PartyPants_ ' hand. _Where the hell did that come from?_ she thought to herself.

"Of course. Greg has mentioned you. It's nice to be able to put a face to the reputation," Gin said, her smile and voice pleasant.

 _At least House told you about me. He never said a word about you_ , Cuddy's thought came through loud and clear and Gin released her hand like she'd been shocked.

House coughed to cover up a laugh. "Now, now, ladies. No need to be catty. There's plenty of me to go around."

Both women rolled their eyes but Gin noticed the way Cuddy was looking at him and she didn't like it. It was a wistful, hopeful expression. Well, it was time to burst her bubble.

"Get dressed and we'll go then," Gin told him. "Wilson said he'll give us a ride to your place and we'll order dinner in."

Cuddy frowned. "You're staying with House?"

"Yes. He needs someone to help him out the first few days."

"I believe the term was _play nurse,_ " House said as he sat on the edge of his bed and reached for his pants. Gin noticed the bandage wrapped around his thigh but it was clean and looked like it had recently been changed.

"You know I always have the cuffs with me if you don't behave," she smirked.

Gin watched Cuddy's expressions go from wistful to amused and then jealous as she glared at House, who had stopped getting dressed.

"Why would you have handcuffs if you're a border security officer?" Cuddy asked with a hint of suspicion in her voice.

Gin gave her a look. "You're kidding, right?"

"She also packs heat. Look, I know you ladies have seen it all before but a guy needs privacy for some things and I'm totally capable of getting dressed on my own. Now shoo."

Gin gave him a sexy grin before she nodded and left the room but Cuddy remained, giving her a smug grin.

When Wilson arrived, he found Gin pacing the hall. "What are you doing out here, Gin?"

"House is getting dressed but what's her name is still in there. Apparently his asking for privacy doesn't apply to her."

"You don't have to worry about Cuddy."

"No?" Gin questioned with an arched brow.

"No. House isn't into her."

"But she's into him."

"Doesn't mean she's going to get what she wants."

Just then, Cuddy came out with House in a wheelchair. He looked less than impressed but he smiled at Gin and pointed at Wilson. "Home, Jeeves!"

Once they were gone, Cuddy went to her office and booted up her computer. Finding the number to the Sky Harbor Airport Border patrol, she called and was directed to David Jones.

"I'm calling about a Gin Wolfe…"

" _She's on suspension until further notice,"_ he said. " _Do you have a complaint?"_ he inquired, sounding a little amused. " _Want to leave a message for her?"_

"No, that's fine. Thank you."

Cuddy ended the call and sat back in her chair as she toyed with an elastic band. "Very interesting," she said to herself. She was smiling as she turned on her computer and began to do some digging.

* * *

Wilson pulled up to House's building. "You guys set?"

"Yeah, we're good. Thanks," House told him as he carefully got out of the car..

"Okay. If you need anything, just call."

"The only thing we'll need are the handcuffs," House whispered in Gin's ear as they watched Wilson drive off.

"You're so bad," she laughed as she followed him inside. As soon as the door closed, she found herself wrapped in his arms, locked in a very heated embrace.

"Mhm, I missed you," she murmured against his lips.

"Me too."

"You missed you, too?" she teased.

"I missed a lot of things," he said as he started to pull her in the direction of his bedroom.

"Hey, I thought you were hungry."

"I am, but not for pizza," he leered at her and wiggled his eyebrows for effect.

"But _I'm_ hungry," she sighed as she tugged him in the other direction. "And I want pizza."

He let go of her hand. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"I call bullshit on that. I can tell when someone's not focused. You were quiet in the car on the drive here," he told her.

"I've just got a lot on my mind, I guess."

"Like what?"

"My job, or lack thereof. Lisa Cuddy…" she sighed.

"What does Cuddy have to do with anything?"

"Do you like her?"

"I like _you_."

"Is that all? Am I just a booty call for you?"

"Of course not!" House rubbed his hands over his face in frustration. "Where did that come from?"

"Oh I dunno. Maybe the fact that you two have a history…"

"Yeah, some history. I fucked her _one time_ at a party."

"It was more than that. Don't bullshit me."

"What do you want me to tell you? That if I hadn't gotten kicked out of school the next day then I might've actually dated her? Well that didn't happen, did it?" he asked in rising anger.

"Yeah but you wanted to be with her…."

"Jesus Christ, Gin, it was fifteen years ago! Who gives a damn?"

"She does. They offered you the job so she could have you all to herself and with me living in Phoenix that's just a bonus as far as she's concerned."

"What...where are you getting all this from…" then he thought about it and sighed. "You shook her hand…"

"I wasn't going to, and I tried to block what she was thinking but sometimes it's damn near impossible. The venom dripping from that woman when she saw me was obvious. I don't know how you didn't see it."

"I saw it, I just didn't know how bad it was. Like I said, I don't know her that well, really. We met when I worked in the University bookstore and then hooked up at a party. We didn't do a lot of talking, if you know what I mean. But then I got kicked out the very next day, so I left without giving her so much as a backward glance. I didn't see the point since I was leaving. Anyway, it doesn't matter. I'm with you."

"Are you?" she asked looking into his eyes.

"If you really have to ask that, then why are you here?"

He had a point. She threw her hands up in despair and groaned. "I don't know! I just have a bad feeling about all this. You need to watch your back. Her intentions aren't as honorable as you might think."

"I know. Which is why I haven't taken her up on the offer to stay at PPTH."

Gin blinked. "You haven't?"

"No. I said I'd think about it but there's no written rule that says I have to take it. Besides, she's the Dean of Medicine and I really don't want to work for her. That, and I don't need the job as badly as she wants me to believe." Then he gave her a sexy smile. "Feel better now?"

"I guess…"

"Want a beer?"

"Sure. Got a pizza menu? I'll call it in."

"Yeah it's stuck to the fridge."

While House got them a beer, Gin ordered the pizza and they went into the living room to watch TV until it arrived.

"I am glad you came, even if it is only for a few days."

"I am too. I've never been this far east before and I wanted to see where you lived."

"It's no mini-mansion in Scottsdale but it's alright."

"It's nice, and it suits you," she told him.

He smiled at her, and she smiled back before leaning over to kiss him. Somehow, kissing House made everything all better again. The few days worth of scruff on his face tickled her lips but she loved it.

When she opened her eyes, she saw his were also open, staring intensely at her. "So if you don't take the job at PPTH, what will you do?" she asked him.

"Well, I've got some irons in the fire back in Phoenix. I did like it out there. A lot more than I thought I would."

When the pizza arrived, House gave Gin such a naughty smile that she literally squirmed from the heat that shot straight to her core.

"Why are you looking at me that way?" she asked him as he came and sat down next to her with the pizza.

"What way?"

"You know. You do it on purpose because you know I can't resist you when you do."

"I thought you were hungry," he said as he opened the box and grabbed a slice for himself.

"I am," she said as she reached for a slice and began to eat. "But when you look at me like that…"

"I hope you brought the handcuffs, you naughty girl," he chuckled.

"I did," she grinned back at him as she ate her slice of pizza. "How's your leg feeling?"

"It's fine."

She placed her hand over the bandage and didn't get any feelings that something was amiss and nodded. "Yes, it is."

"I just need to take it easy, that's all. Within reason."

Gin giggled and leaned over to steal another kiss, which he gladly allowed, and nibbled on her lower lip.

"I didn't think taking it easy was in your vocabulary," she breathed.

"It isn't."

They exchanged a few more kisses before finishing off their pizza and then Gin put it in the fridge while House made his way to the bedroom. "Coming?" He called to her.

"God, I hope so."


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: One more chapter to go after this. Just out of curiosity, what's with all the guest accounts leaving reviews? I'm happy to get them, of course, but I can't PM you back to respond :( Thank you for the kind words though :) They're much appreciated. I'll be starting NaNoWriMo next week so I won't be posting for awhile.  
**

 **Chapter Fourteen**

She heard him chuckle as she made sure the doors were locked and the lights off, and found the bedroom empty. It seemed odd since she saw him go in there. Just then, she heard movement and the cuffs being pulled from her back pocket and slapped on one of her wrists, then the other.

"You've done this before," she whispered as his hands began to roam all over her body as if he were doing a strip search.

"Mmm and you liked it as I recall."

"I did, except we didn't use the handcuffs last time."

"Well we are now. You are entirely at my mercy and you're going to like it."

"Yes, sir."

"Good girl."

He led her across the room and placed her on the bed. He then uncuffed one of her wrists and raised her arms over her head so he could hook the cuffs to the headboard.

"Mmmm you look hot like that," he said as he proceeded to get undressed. Then he let his hands roam all over her body, stopping to unbutton her flannel shirt and spread it open to reveal her black lace bra. "So sexy."

"So are you," she purred and smiled at him. "Do as you will."

"Oh, I intend to."

When he started placing kisses across her throat and neck, she let out a long, contented sigh. "I missed you so much, Greg. More than I probably should."

"Shhh, no more talking. Just close your eyes and enjoy this."

"Okay," she sighed again and let her eyes flutter closed. Once House was satisfied that she was relaxed, he continued to explore her body with his hands and his mouth. When he unhooked her bra, which had a clasp at the front, he thought she was going to come right then by the way she arched her back and gasped. When his warm mouth fastened onto her left breast, she gasped once more. "God…."

" _Greg_ ," he corrected before moving across to the other nipple.

"I need…" she moaned as she writhed beneath him, "I want to touch you…"

"I thought you wanted to be cuffed."

"I do…and now I want to touch you."

House grinned and reached over to take the cuffs off her wrists. Her hands immediately went to his chest and her nails raked over his nipples. While one hand did that, her other hand slid down and grasped his erection which came to full salute with one stroke.

"Unnghh," he grunted as he thrust into her hand a few times. "So good…"

"Yeah. I love yo...your cock, Greg," she whispered between the kisses she was placing across his stomach as he hovered over her.

 _That was close!_ she thought to herself. She certainly wasn't ready to profess her true feelings to him yet.

"What do you want, Gin?" he whispered in her ear as his hands continued to caress her body.

"I want you to make love to me...slowly. I want you to show me how much you missed me."

He gave her a wicked smile and once he was comfortable, slowly eased himself inside her warmth. It was just like being home again, and they held each other tightly while he moved above her, occasionally dipping his head to kiss her mouth, which she opened under his.

His hands slid up her arms out to her hands and held them down as their fingers interlaced, giving him more leverage.

When she wrapped her legs around his waist he thought he might lose his mind. She felt so tight, so wet and so unbelievably amazing.

"Gin...oh my God…"

"I know. It's so good! Don't stop, Greg!" she cried out.

He couldn't stop even if he wanted to and when he felt her reach her own explosive climax, his soon followed. He collapsed on top of her in a sweaty heap and while he was working on catching his breath, Gin softly stroked his hair as her own thoughts drifted. She could feel his love and adoration for her flowing out of him in waves as he buried his face in her neck and she felt complete. There was no doubt of his feelings for her. She knew he might never say them outright, but he didn't have to.

When he propped himself up on his elbows and looked down at her, she smiled up at him.

"What are you thinking?" she asked him.

"You mean you don't know?" he teased.

"I'm not a mind reader, Greg."

When he arched his eyebrow at her, she laughed. "Well, not really. I get feelings more than anything else, sometimes I hear voices but it's usually from the past, like sometime before. I can't really explain it."

House rolled over onto his side and they lay there, facing each other. "I guess it's just one of those unexplained gifts people are blessed with. At least you're using it to help people. Many wouldn't unless it benefited them in some way."

She nodded. "Finding Marty Balfour was a rush though. I'll admit it. Sadly, a lot of the people I do find aren't so lucky. Those are the tough ones."

"You just have to put them behind you. You can't save everyone."

"I know."

House gently stroked her cheek and then smiled. "I'm thirsty."

"Me too. Let's get a drink."

They got up and went into the kitchen and decided to finish off the rest of the pizza and beer.

"So what will you do about PPTH?" she asked him as they stood at the butcher block island eating.

"I'm going to call some of the hospitals in Phoenix, see if I can get an interview. And then I'll go back with you."

Gin smiled. "That would be great. I hope you will."

"I like Scottsdale."

"I'm glad. It's hard not to love a place where it hardly rains and is sunny for most of the year."

"Yeah. I might get myself a motorcycle."

"You ride?" she asked.

"Yeah, I used to. I'd have to renew my license first."

"I've never been on a motorcycle."

"It's a rush. Pretty much the closest thing to flying as you can get."

"Well if you do get a bike, I expect a ride."

House gave her a sexy grin. "Oh, I'll give you a ride alright."

Gin laughed and gave him a playful slap on the chest. "You're incorrigible."

"Yeah, I am. And you get off on it." He stepped closer to her and wrapped an arm around her waist. "You like the bad boy types, I think."

"So what if I do?"

"Baby, you ain't seen nothin yet."

* * *

Gin woke up to find House gone from the bed but the sheets were still warm so he hadn't been gone long. She rolled over onto her back and stretched like a cat. She felt good. Better than good, actually. The second round of amazing sex they'd had after finishing off the pizza and beer had given her the best night's sleep she'd had in a long time.

She got out of bed and padded to the kitchen. House was talking on the phone to someone so she poured herself some coffee that he'd had brewing and searched for something to eat. Ten minutes later, he entered the kitchen and refilled his mug.

"Got myself an interview at two hospitals in Phoenix," he told her and then sipped his coffee.

"Oh yeah? Which ones?"

"The Children's Hospital and the Mayo Clinic."

"Nice. When are the interviews?"

"The end of this week. Thursday and Friday."

"So I guess you have to tell Lisa Cuddy you're not accepting her offer."

"That'll be the fun part," he said with a somewhat boyish grin.

"What are you going to say?"

"What is there to say? I don't want to work there and I'll say as much."

"She's not going to like that."

"I don't care. I never said I'd take the offer in the first place," he told her.

"But she's that arrogant that she'd expect you to. She'll pull out every rebuttal she has to convince you to stay."

"She can pull them out of her huge ass all fucking day for all I care."

"Just stand your ground and don't waver in your decision, and don't let her see you waver."

"I don't waver."

Gin knew he wouldn't and that made her proud. However, she was still apprehensive about it.

"I'm just going to call her. No point in my going in."

"You should do it in person, Greg. The phone is tacky."

He made a childish face which caused her to giggle. "You know I'm right."

"Doesn't mean I have to do it your way," he grumbled and left the room.

* * *

Wilson rolled his eyes when Cuddy paged him to her office so he went down there right away.

"I've got a consult in fifteen minutes so make it quick," he told her as he sat down. "What's up?"

"What do you know about this...Gin person he's seeing?" she asked him with an attempt at an innocent expression.

Wilson's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Not a whole lot. I didn't spend a lot of time with her when House and I were in Vancouver a couple months back."

"What were you doing in Vancouver?"

"Stopping over on our way back from Hawaii."

"And then you met her?"

"Her and her friend, yeah. What's with the third degree? And what does this have to do with House?" he demanded.

"I don't think he's going to accept the offer."

"And that surprises you? It shouldn't. He's not backing down on the clinic duty. Between you and me, I think it's ridiculous for anyone but interns and residents to have to work in there. It's a waste of our time that could be devoted to the care of our patients. I've noticed that none of the department heads or their doctors are working in there, so why make House? You haven't exactly been on me about it, either, and yet for some reason you've got a hard-on about him doing it. What's the deal? Is this one of the ways you think you can tether him? Because if it is, you're not going to win. Besides, I got a call from the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix about him. They're checking his references."

Cuddy's eyes widened. "What did you say to them?"

"It doesn't matter. House is going back to Phoenix with her and I don't think he's coming back. He likes it down there. So whatever you're offering isn't going to hold up against the Mayo Clinic."

Cuddy smiled like the cat that got the cream and sat back in her chair. "Perhaps. I just called him and he's coming in later to talk about it."

Again, Wilson's eyes narrowed. "What did you do?"

"Me? Not a thing. Gin on the other hand...Let's just say I know some things about her that House might want to know."

"Why are you doing this?" Wilson sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck and stood up. He began pacing the room. "You spent one night with him at a party years ago and now you're willing to sabotage his relationship because you can't stand him being with anyone else? What is this? High School?"

"He'll be a very valuable asset to this hospital."

"Ahh, so you can get donors to spend their money. I get that, but House isn't going to appreciate that as much as some others would. You're going to have to do better than stroking his ego. And digging up dirt on her is only going to make you look petty."

"Depends on the dirt," Cuddy said with a self-satisfied smile.


	15. Chapter 15

**_A/N: Well here it is, the FINAL chapter. Thank you to everyone who has read and left comments :) Sorry this took forever to get done, but it was definitely a struggle. MANY thanks to my awesome beta and writing partner in crime, Hughville, who helped me finish it._ **

**Chapter Fifteen**

Armed with new knowledge about House's girlfriend, Cuddy sat confidently behind her desk as she waited for him to show up. He never gave her any indication of when he would come by, so she really had no idea, but she was ready. Once she presented him with what she had, she was sure he'd tell ex-agent Wolfe to pack her bags and get out.

It was after lunch when House merely walked past Cuddy's assistant and let himself in, closing the double doors in the woman's face.

"I'm not taking the offer. I already told you on the phone this morning. So what was this urgent need to see me?" he asked as he walked in.

"Wilson says you're going back to Phoenix."

"Yep. Got a flight out on Wednesday."

"With Gin?"

"Well, she lives there, so...yeah."

"How much do you really know about her, House? I mean, you haven't been with her that long. Do you trust her?"

House shrugged. "She hasn't given me any reason not to. Where are you going with this? I thought you wanted me to come here so you could sweeten the pot of the offer. But if clinic duty is still part of it, then you can take the offer and shove it…"

"She's been arrested," Cuddy blurted.

"Now what are you on about?"

"Your little girlfriend. She's been arrested."

"When?"

"Seven years ago. She was the suspect in a murder case."

House shook his head in disbelief. "Somehow I have the feeling there's more to that story. And besides, if that were true and she was arrested and indicted, she wouldn't be able to work for the Government in _any_ capacity."

"She doesn't do anything now from the sounds of it," Cuddy said as she sat back looking smug. House wanted to smack that grin off her face.

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about. Why are we even having this conversation?"

"Why are you defending her?"

"I'm not, she can defend herself, but the point is she doesn't have to. What is your problem with her? And what does any of this little witch hunt have to do with me not accepting your offer?" he asked crossing his arms.

"I thought you might want to know who you're living with."

"And this concerns you because…"

"Because I want you at this hospital and you're one of the best doctors I know."

"I'm declining your offer. I have no interest in working here, or for you. So you can take your little investigation on Gin and shove it up your curvaceous ass," he said as he started to leave.

Cuddy got up too and blocked the door. "We diagnosed and fixed your leg. You could've lost it, but we saved it. You owe us."

House laughed once again. "Seriously? I don't owe you shit. And for your information, Gin was the one who told me to get my leg checked out. Michaels insisted on looking into it and _he_ fixed it, not you."

"You asked for the MRI," Cuddy pointed out.

"Yeah, and you could have told me to go somewhere else but you were all too glad to help as I recall. Look," House said as he scratched his forehead with his thumb, "I'm not going to work here. It's not where I want to be and it's not where I belong. So you can stop trying to make Gin out to be some murderer and leave her the hell alone. She's done nothing to you."

"Wow, that's really admirable, House. Standing up for your little felon girlfriend like that."

"Does it make you feel better to belittle her? And by doing that do you think it would make me want to work here?"

Cuddy had no words and House nodded. "Didn't think so. I'm leaving now. Take good care of Wilson for me. He'll be lonely for awhile."

* * *

House came home and slammed the door shut. "Honey, I'm home!" he called out as he tossed his keys aside.

Gin came out of the kitchen with two beers, handing him one with a smile. "Well? How did it go?"

"No kiss?" he asked, making a pouty face.

"Oh, my mistake," she grinned as she raised herself on her tiptoes to meet his lips in a long kiss that took her breath away. "Wow!" she sighed as she fanned herself. So, since you're back so soon I guess she didn't take it too well?"

House laughed and took a long sip of his beer. "I wish you'd been there. She had all this useless dirt on you which she assumed would make me send you packing back to Phoenix while I stayed and brought her hospital to greatness."

Gin's eyes widened. "Dirt on me? Oh, do tell."

"Later," he said as he took her hand and dragged her to the bedroom. "I gotta start packing. And weren't you supposed to have a meeting with your boss lady?"

"She had to push it back to Thursday, some family emergency, so I'll be flying back with you."

"Well, that's convenient. Did she say anything else?"

"Just that a Dr. Cuddy called while I was away and she was confused."

House chuckled and shook his head. "Rightly so. But it doesn't matter. Cuddy won't be bothering us anymore."

Gin wrapped her arms around him from behind and squeezed. "Amen to that."

House placed his hands over hers as they stood there for a few minutes. Part of him couldn't believe he was actually going to leave town and start over with her. The idea both terrified and amused him.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked, her voice was soft as he turned around to face her.

"The motorcycle I'm going to get," he chuckled and then began peppering her neck with kisses. His scruff tickled and she squirmed but he held her tight against him.

"You need a job to pay for said motorcycle."

"I'll get one. The Chief I talked to at Mayo was very intrigued with my idea. I'm not so into the Children's Hospital."

"Don't like kids?"

"It's not the kids I have a problem with, but their parents who hover constantly."

"You can't blame them," she said. "I can't imagine what it's like for a parent to lose their child."

"You're killing the mood, woman."

Gin giggled. "Oh, there was a mood? I thought you were packing."

"Oh I will," he said, "but something just came up."

"Something always _comes up_ where you're concerned," she laughed as he playfully shoved her onto the bed and moved on top of her.

"Are you complaining?"

"God no!"

He kissed her once again as he smiled down at her. "Didn't think so."

"Well, now that you have me here, what are you going to do with me?"

"What _aren't_ I going to do with you is the real question," he growled before he bent his head and kissed her as he held her hands down.

She giggled and squirmed under him. "I love it when you get all dominant. It's sexy."

"You're sexy," he whispered as he placed kisses down her neck and across her throat. "No more talking unless it's to scream _oh God, yes, more_!"

"Yes, sir," she said with a nod. His mouth came down hard on hers and her lips parted to accept his tongue. He was an exceptionally good kisser and she could easily get off just from his kisses alone if she let herself. He tugged on the hem of her shirt and pulled it up and over her head, then pulled his own shirt off. He unlatched her bra at the front and tossed that aside as well. His eyes took her in and he liked what he saw. She was definitely into it as much as he was. Her lips and skin were pink from his scruff and she was breathing heavily as she watched him, waiting to see what he had in store for her. He stared back at her, his eyes continuing to roam over her body and then he unbuttoned her jeans and she lifted her hips to help him pull them off. Then it was his turn and she watched him kick his own jeans off, revealing the large bandage on his thigh. She reached up and gently touched it. "Does it hurt?"

He shook his head. "No, it's fine. It only hurts if I do any strenuous activity," he grinned.

Then, to his surprise, she rolled them over so she was now on top and smiling down on him. "Then I guess you'd better take it easy, Dr. House."

He smiled back at her. "Is this the part where you play nurse?"

"I did promise."

He watched as she tugged his boxers off and tossed them in the heap of clothes on the floor. Her hand gripped his cock firmly and he let out a soft groan and closed his eyes. He wasn't the only one who had skills. She knew exactly what he liked and how he liked it.

"God...yes...Gin…" he whispered as he tried to keep his eyes open and watch her but when she took him into her mouth, he fell back against the pillows and groaned once again. "So good…"

When he managed to open his eyes again, she was still watching him and the sight of her with his cock in her mouth sent his libido into overdrive.

"Gin...this is going to be over in a hurry if you keep that up."

"What do you want?" she whispered, her hand still stroking him.

"I want you to fuck me," he growled as he pulled her against him for another long kiss. She positioned herself and then sank down on him, impaling herself with a loud gasp. When he bucked his hips up into her, she threw her head back and gasped once again. Placing her hands on his chest for leverage, she began to ride him. She began slowly at first, but was unable to keep that pace. House was gripping her hips so tightly she was sure she'd have bruises later but she didn't care. With each upward thrust he gave, he'd pull her down, stabbing her deeply with each one.

"Oh God…" she cried out as she rode him hard and fast until she reached an explosive finish and raked her nails over his nipples.

House bucked his hips a couple more times as his own orgasm washed over him. It was a mellow warmth that flowed through his body, unlike the usual powerful climaxes he'd experienced before, but he liked it just the same. Gin had made him feel and experience things he hadn't before and it was becoming an addiction.

She rolled off of him and onto on her back, still breathing heavily as she stared up at the ceiling.

"Any regrets?" she asked him a few minutes later.

"About?"

"Moving across the country, leaving this place and Wilson behind?"

House thought about it for a minute then shook his head. "Nope. I'm where I want to be. Wilson will be fine. I don't need him as much as he thinks I do. And who knows, maybe Cuddy will drive him crazy so he'll move to Phoenix too."

Gin giggled. "It's entirely possible. She seems like she'd drive anyone crazy and I only met her for ten minutes."

"Don't be too hard on her. She is a good doctor, and from what I've heard, a good administrator."

"If you say so."

House shrugged and got up. "I need to start packing. And I need more boxes."

"Just hire a crew to come and do it for you."

"I'll also need a piano mover."

"I'm sure that should be easy enough to find."

"You'd be surprised."

"I have faith in you," she smiled as she got dressed. "We can go to one of those self storage places and get boxes."

"Yeah. I'll get Wilson to come over and help. I'll bribe him with pizza and beer."

"Which you'll make him bring, no doubt," Gin laughed, and then laughed harder when he gave her a "duhh!" look. "You're impossible."

"Yeah, but somehow you love me anyway."

She didn't hesitate with her answer. "Yeah, Greg, I do."

She could tell he was surprised, but he didn't say anything more as he zipped his jeans. He looked at her, gave her one of his sexy smiles and left the room. She let out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding. Life with Greg House wasn't going to be boring and she was looking forward to it.

 **The End**

 **A/N: Well, that's it. And just so you know, I have NO intention of writing a sequel :) I gotta concentrate on my NaNoWriMo story that begins next week. Thanks for reading!**


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